How we can get service delivery back on track in Joburg

18 August 2021

We can all see the potholes and feel the cold when the power is out, but getting these basics right is something that the City of Johannesburg can and must get right - residents must get the services that they deserve. This will happen when we focus on getting the basics right.

The new mayor recently committed to making Fridays the day for service delivery and for officials to get out on the ground. This is where we have to make the first and most important change: every day is service delivery day - it is the most important responsibility of any city. Claiming "accelerated service delivery" days or "wars on potholes/water leaks" is just admitting that you're not doing your job in getting the basics right.

All DA councillors are constantly on the ground dealing with power outages, water leaks, and hundreds of other issues that city officials are paid to handle. We know what's going wrong and are committed to getting officials to do their job.

Mr Mayor, here is what you need to do:

Get all officials back to work. Some departments and companies are still operating on level 5 lockdown. Get proper PPE and sanitation in place (that doesn't cost R3000 for a bottle of sanitiser) and get all teams back on the ground. 10% won't cut it - we need 100%. If Tshwane and Midvaal can do it then Joburg can too.

Give officials tools to work from home. Departments and companies have spent millions on laptops and 4G cards but aren't giving them out. This isn't rocket science. 

Start spending the money you've been given. If officials can't or won't spend it on repairs, maintenance, and upgrades, then get rid of them and hire qualified people who can. If you can blow R600 million in the first four months of lockdown on PPE and fogging empty buildings, then you can spend the same amount fixing water leaks, installing traffic cameras, replacing guardrails, and upgrading substations. Get your tenders in order.

Get the asphalt plant running at 100%. We've spent millions on this to have enough asphalt on hand to repair and resurface our roads (councillors are told this daily). You've seen the state of the roads, so there is no excuse for this plant not producing the millions of tons of asphalt that it is capable of.

Put a bomb under CRUM. This department and its dedicated urban inspectors are in charge of tracking all the breakages, faults, leaks, and other issues across the city. Make them do their job, and make sure that city departments and companies like City Power and JRA follow through on what has been reported. Close the feedback loop.

Stop City Power cooking the books. Residents tell us every day that their complaints are closed off without being resolved so that City Power's numbers will look good. We know the reality, and you need to own it.

Protect our power grid. Substations and minisubs must be fenced off, have cameras and alarms that are linked to the JMPD and local security companies to prevent theft and vandalism, and there must be dedicated security teams patrolling areas where frequent cable theft happens.

I know you're new and have never been a ward councillor, but please listen to us when we point out the problems. We represent thousands of residents and are in constant communication with them and the situation on the ground. We want to work together and build a better Joburg.

Issued by Lea Knott, DA Joburg Caucus Leader, 18 August 2021