Pristine streets for guests, chaos for Ward 109 residents
Trees trimmed, verges manicured, roads closed in preparation of the G20 Summit; Ward 109 residents feel the city’s service priorities were more about cameras than citizens.
While Johannesburg basked in international attention during the G20 Summit at Nasrec Expo Centre on November 23 to 24, residents of Ward 109 felt overlooked and sidelined.
Councillor Lori Coogan said the city’s preparations for the high-profile event came at a real cost to everyday service delivery in her ward.
In the weeks leading up to the summit, routine municipal services from grass cutting to reinstatements were temporarily suspended. Residents were informed that only emergencies would be attended to until the event concluded.
Read more: G20 Summit showcase leaves Ward 109 behind, says councillor Lori Coogan
“The contrast was stark,” Coogan said. “On Marlboro Drive, a key route for G20 motorcades, verges were manicured, trees trimmed, and streetlights repaired at a pace we rarely see in our communities unless cameras are rolling and dignitaries are watching.”
For locals, the discrepancy was frustrating. While the city demonstrated it could mobilise resources quickly for an international audience, the same level of service rarely reaches its neighbourhoods.
Public irritation intensified when several Sandton roads remained closed beyond the announced schedule.
Also read: Ward councillor of Ward 109 encourages her community to help out those who are in need
“Notices had indicated closures from 4:00 to 10:00, yet streets like South Road, Katherine Street, and Grayston Drive were blocked for up to two hours longer, even though the summit was centred at Nasrec, several kilometres away. The residents who pay high rates for the city’s services were effectively trapped in their own neighbourhoods,” Coogan said.
Now, as the summit is over, Coogan questions the long-term consequences of this redirected focus. With municipal budgets already stretched thin, she fears that resources prioritised for G20 corridors may leave her ward underfunded for the remainder of the year.
“Will residents have to wait until the next financial cycle to see basic service delivery issues addressed? The G20 may be over, but the effects on ordinary residents will be felt long after the dignitaries have left.”
For many in Ward 109, the summit highlighted a clear divide: pristine streets for international visitors, neglected communities for ratepayers. Coogan hopes the city will now reorient its attention back to local priorities.
“Our residents deserved better. The G20 is behind us, now it’s time for Johannesburg to serve those who live here every day, not just those passing through.”
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