Residents sceptical of R5bn investment summit promises
As the metro pushes its economic revitalisation strategy through a high-profile summit, many residents say daily struggles with poor service delivery and rising costs are being ignored.
The Tshwane metro is forging ahead with its ambitious plan to attract R5-billion in new investments through its investment summit, themed ‘Tshwane Rising’.
The summit forms part of the metro’s economic revitalisation strategy, which officials say is aimed at boosting growth, drawing investors, and creating much-needed jobs.
Sarah Mabotsa, MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, said the strategy identifies 10 key sectors for investment, with the summit focusing on four priority areas:
– Tourism
– Construction and property
– Automotive
– Agriculture and agro-processing.
“The summit reflects the rise of the capital city in South Africa and the world. Tshwane is one of the fastest-growing metros and is well-positioned as an investment destination,” she said.
According to Mabotse, unemployment has dropped by 4.5% in the past year, crime rates are falling, and the metro continues to host the second-highest number of foreign missions in the world, after Washington, DC.
“These are some of the reasons investors are looking to the metro,” Mabotsa explained.
However, many residents in the east say they remain unconvinced that the promised billions will bring meaningful change to their communities.
Instead, they argue, service delivery backlogs, high tariffs, and decaying infrastructure should be prioritised before grand investment drives.
Waterkloof resident Ian Fuller was blunt about his lack of faith in the project, saying, “The investments will not make a difference in the metro. Not one little bit.
“They’re already collecting money from high rates and taxes, but not spending it on residents.”
He continued, saying that the metro’s dumping sites are a mess, the roads are full of potholes, trees aren’t trimmed and there is no service delivery.
Fuller added that residents have filed objections to skyrocketing municipal rates without acknowledgement.
“They don’t even bother replying. It’s frustrating because we are paying, but we’re not seeing improvements,” he said.
Dr Genevieve Symonds also questioned whether the summit’s benefits would filter down to ordinary households.
“These investments will benefit people who’ve got the money already.
“They say Tshwane is the safest metro, but that doesn’t mean much when families are struggling with crime.”
She said the cost of living is unbearable, and that the municipality keeps pushing up rates and tariffs, further burdening already stressed residents.
“These investment drives benefit a handful of elites and big business, not us.”
Others, however, were more optimistic.
Business owner Patrice Lassare said any injection of funds into the economy should be welcomed.
“Any investment is good. Anything that could reduce unemployment is very good.”
He said, however, service delivery must improve too, especially electricity, which is extremely costly and unreliable.
“That alone discourages investment,” he said.
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