ACDP mayoral candidate pledges to restore Johannesburg’s basic services

Johannesburg’s deteriorating infrastructure, unreliable water and electricity supply, housing shortages and uneven service delivery are among the issues the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) mayoral candidate Dulton Adams says he would prioritise if elected mayor.

The Roodepoort Northsider invited mayoral candidates to outline their priorities and explain how they would address the municipality’s key challenges.

Adams outlined his plans for the city, placing infrastructure maintenance, improved municipal services and accountable local government at the centre of his proposed approach to addressing Johannesburg’s challenges.

He said restoring and maintaining infrastructure would be his priority, followed by improving the reliability of essential services and ensuring that all wards receive fair and consistent service delivery.

“We cannot build a prosperous city on collapsing water pipes, failing electricity networks and deteriorating roads,” Adams said.

He argued that water, electricity, sanitation and refuse collection should be treated as essential services for every resident, regardless of their community’s economic circumstances or political representation.

According to Adams, the city needs to move away from responding to community protests and instead fulfil its responsibility to provide services consistently.

Adams also highlighted ward-based governance, saying councillors should remain accessible to residents and regularly communicate progress on community concerns.

He said residents should be able to identify their councillors, engage with them directly and receive feedback on reported problems instead of repeatedly being told that matters have been escalated.

“You cannot inherit a community and return five years later asking for another vote when that community is worse off than when you arrived,” he said.

Adams maintained that accountability should be measured by tangible improvements in residents’ daily lives rather than reports and statistics.

He added that an ACDP-led administration would be expected to serve all Johannesburg residents equally, regardless of which political party they supported.

On infrastructure backlogs, Adams said the municipality should prioritise maintenance, repairs and upgrades through improved planning and responsible financial management.

He proposed strengthening Johannesburg Water and City Power by ensuring that qualified professionals are appointed and held accountable for service delivery.

Adams also identified cable theft, infrastructure vandalism and corruption as issues that needed to be addressed, arguing that these problems undermine essential services and threaten livelihoods.

He said the city should focus on maintaining existing infrastructure, repairing damaged systems and developing networks capable of meeting the needs of a growing population.

Adams said the growth of informal settlements and increasing demand for housing required proper urban planning and sustainable development.

He said his approach would include identifying suitable land, improving basic services and expanding affordable housing opportunities.

In line with ACDP policy, Adams said he supported affordable housing development, serviced stands and accelerating the issuing of title deeds to qualifying residents.

He also called for greater transparency in housing allocation, saying the process should be free from corruption and political favouritism.

Adams said the municipality would need to work with other spheres of government, the private sector and communities to address the housing backlog.

Adams said attracting investment would depend on restoring confidence in Johannesburg’s infrastructure and municipal administration.

He argued that businesses need reliable electricity and water, safe roads, functioning infrastructure and an efficient, transparent municipality to operate and grow.

His proposed approach includes supporting small businesses, reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, encouraging investment and strengthening township economies.

He also stressed the importance of protecting existing businesses and employment opportunities, warning that the closure of businesses and factories could further undermine efforts to address unemployment.

“Johannesburg was built on gold, but I have declared that the people are the new gold of this city,” Adams said.

“Our greatest resource is not buried beneath the ground. It is found in our people,” he added.

Adams’ proposals place municipal infrastructure, service delivery, housing, accountability and economic development at the centre of his stated vision for Johannesburg. Their implementation would depend on municipal resources, planning, governance arrangements and cooperation with other spheres of government.