A year-end message for Ward 74

Ward 74 councillor David Fisher writes: 

2018 has been a year of many challenges. We have been successful in resolving many of these, but some serious and far-reaching issues are still to be turned around.

During the winter there were lots of electricity disruptions due to old and failing equipment. This required emergency upgrades that City Power carried out at the Sebenza substation. Thanks to the leadership of the MMC, Nico de Jager and the dedication and professionalism of the City Power team, the first phase of the upgrade was accelerated and resulted in a vastly more stable supply – we managed to keep the lights on!

Vagrants and recyclers in our parks, especially the James and Ethel Gray Park, have been a source of serious concern for many residents who have engaged me on this difficult problem. The City has regularly cleaned up the parks and moved the vagrants on. Unfortunately, this just results in new people coming in to replace them. A permanent solution is being sought by the various role players at a high level. On the ground and as the local councillor, I work with Pikitup, City Parks and Metro police to contain it.

During the year, the City has concentrated on pothole repairs in our area. A large number were repaired but it is obvious that the problem is bigger than just fixing potholes. Next year the City will embark on a programme to resurface complete streets, just like they did in various streets this year in Ward 74.

Burst water pipes continue to be an ongoing issue and Joburg Water are continually repairing and replacing the old infrastructure. The stealing of water meters (the old heavy metal ones) was rife during the last year, particularly in Highlands North, Bramley and Kew.

Re-zoning and new developments will continue to be an issue that residents will be faced with. Many properties along the new Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) route have applied and been granted increased density rights. There are two important City policies that residents and property owners should be aware of. The Balfour Park Precinct Plan and the Louis Botha Avenue Development Corridor Strategic Framework both cover the policies and interventions that are being implemented in the area. Both documents can be found on the City of Johannesburg website.

Some residents have experienced frustration with billing queries during the year and fortunately, these are diminishing. The City’s revenue department collect data, process charges and distribute over one million accounts each month. The cash collection from consumers in September 2018 was R3.163 billion. This is a huge and complex administrative task and errors do occur. The City has tightened its credit control procedures which have resulted in some resident suffering the indignity of being cut off. I would encourage every resident to pay the City timeously each month. The City is required to pay the providers of the electricity, water, and services that we all consume and relies on residents to pay their portions.

2019 in South Africa is going to see the focus on the macro issues such as the poor education system which contributes to the chronic unemployment which has a big influence on the stagnant economy which hinders foreign and local investment.

The upcoming general election is going to show if we, the people of South Africa, have the strength and commitment to contribute to and to continue the turnaround that we see at local government level in many of the major metros. More than ever we need to be active and engaged citizens and to responsibly exercise our democratic right and responsibility that was so hard fought for.

In 2019, at a local government level, we can look forward to more of the slow but steady pace of change that will continue to improve the lives of all residents. As a society that is massively unequal, it is sometimes difficult for us in Ward 74 to conceive the difficult and challenging conditions that our neighbours in less affluent areas endure. As a pro-poor government, the City of Johannesburg will continue to prioritise the upliftment of the marginalised. This priority needs to be balanced with the requirement to maintain our established communities and to encourage them to flourish, thus stimulating the economy and increasing the low tax base out of which there are many demands.

As the year comes to an end I would like to thank all residents for their support and encouragement, especially the many who have been active in reporting and monitoring service delivery issues. I have received support and service from the City’s various departments and it is often these special relationships that produce the extra bit of service that we the residents appreciate.

May all our residents enjoy a safe and happy holiday season and look forward to 2019 in which we continue to grow and prosper as a nation.