The City of Johannesburg launched an enhanced, high-impact service delivery programme in the Randburg CBD, aimed at tackling illegal activity, poor cleanliness and weak law enforcement in the area.

Speaking during an operation in Ward 102, the city’s regional director for Region B, Sello Jonathan Lemao, said the programme brings together multiple departments to fast-track service delivery in one focused area. The initiative is coordinated through Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (CRUM), which oversees and accelerates work usually done separately by city entities.

Read more: JMPD targets rising by-law violations in Randburg central business district

“This is called accelerated service delivery because departments normally work on their own daily programmes,” the director explained. “What is different here is that we bring everyone into one place to focus on one area and deal with all issues at once.”

The Randburg CBD has been identified as a key nodal area due to its high levels of economic activity. It hosts taxi ranks, municipal facilities, libraries, clinics and shopping centres, which attract large numbers of people daily. However, this activity has also led to growing levels of disorder.

Among the main concerns raised were illegal parking, informal mechanics and recyclers operating on pavements, and widespread lawlessness. According to the director, illegal parking alone is one of the biggest problems, with cars frequently parked where they should not be.

“There is a lot of trading and movement here, and because of that, there are many illegal activities,” he said. “Our streets are occupied by illegal parking, and in areas like Jan Smuts, you find mechanics and recyclers scattered everywhere. All of this needs to be managed.”

To address these issues, departments such as Social Development and Environmental Health were deployed alongside law enforcement during the operation. The aim is to resolve problems on the ground before officials leave the area.

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However, the director stressed that the scale of the challenges requires daily, sustained intervention, particularly from the police. He said law enforcement accounts for about 70% of the problems in the CBD.

“There is clear lawlessness here,” he said. “People steal openly on pavements and do not seem to care. If we had enough officers here consistently, we would win.”

@caxtonjoburgnorth WATCH: JMPD officials confiscate the tyres of a business that is not in compliance with the city’s by-laws. Video: Nkazimulo Ncube #Randburg #JMPD ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North

As a result, the City Manager, Floyd Brink, was invited to witness the situation first-hand. The director said it was important for senior leadership to see the full extent of the problems, rather than only hearing reports.

“The City Manager is the highest authority among officials,” he said. “From his office, budgets can be influenced, and directives can be given, especially to the police. We want to make Randburg a continuous project.”

He added that Brink has already committed to supporting the area and has begun engaging with senior police officials to increase capacity. Plans are also underway to involve local businesses, which have shown willingness to contribute private security personnel to support the Metro police as a force multiplier.

@caxtonjoburgnorth WATCH: Displaced individuals are encouraged to move during the city's high-impact service delivery in the Randburg CBD. Video: Nkazimulo Ncube #Randburg #JMPD ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North

“If wrongdoers see consistency and daily presence, they will move away,” the director said. “At the moment, that is the only solution we have.”

The city has committed to strengthening coordination, improving law enforcement presence and resolving operational challenges to restore order and cleanliness in the Randburg CBD.

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