Drawing closer to election day on 3 August, Mayor Parks Tau outlined what he called “an undisputed record of delivery” in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) since 2011, when he first sat in the mayor’s chair.
https://twitter.com/MayorTau/status/750954258091114497
On 6 July, Tau said that although more still needs to happen and be attended to in the city, the expanding bus rapid transit system, kilometres of tarred roads, community investments, recreational parks, up-market theatres, free CoJ Wifi, free online education and continued delivery of basic services to all residents, including those in informal settlements show an “undisputed record of delivery”.
Roads infrastructure
Over the term, Tau said CoJ has done over 3 000 installations or re-cabling at traffic intersections and signals. Tau also referred to the M1 upgrades as part of CoJ’s 10-year, R100 billion infrastructure investment.
Employment and Youth Development
Tau said CoJ has created 200 000 job opportunities under the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and further contracted just over 1 000 businesses under the Jozi@work programme.
“Almost 10 000 people are employed by these entities,” he said.
Tau highlighted that youth programmes secured over 200 000 career opportunities for young people in CoJ.
https://twitter.com/MayorTau/status/750808521797664768
“Our youth development strategy, in the form of Vulindlel’eJozi, together with Jozi@work, have gone on to be recognised as being amongst the best in the world by the Citi Foundation and The Economist”.
Poverty
According to Tau, poverty, food security and inequality as an ongoing challenge faced by CoJ. In an attempt to reduce living costs in households that earn about R3 500 a month and spend most of their income on food, housing and transport,
“So far, the City has reached 47 000 poor households with approximately 150 000 people who are food insecure. We have also gone on to upgrade 30 000 informal homes with 90 000 people in them. This is against an influx into the City annually of about 120 000 [people],” he explained.
Billing system
In an attempt to turn around CoJ’s billing system, Tau said through regionalisation and decentralisation of the systems billing distribution was improved.
“[CoJ] has received unqualified audit opinions for the last three financial years. We have built our cash reserves significantly, and we are driving the highest capital investment programme in the country,” he said.
According to Tau, CoJ accounts for 14 percent of the national economy and capital expenditure grew by about R6 million since 2011 and R8 billion in local investments were facilitated, Tau said.
Loadshedding
“Innovation has also enabled us to start producing electricity from sludge at our treatment plants while also exploring hydropower as another alternative that could significantly mitigate load shedding in Johannesburg,” he added.
Tau ended the report by saying it promotes accountability in the city administration’s top leadership.
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