Under pressure to deliver, Johannesburg executive mayor Kabelo Gwamanda on Tuesday undertook to address unemployment, persistent load-shedding, housing and crime in his plans to ramp up service delivery.
Delivering his maiden state of the city address at the council chambers on Tuesday, Gwamanda also undertook to fix the municipality’s “fragile” financial state and roll out rooftop solar installations to cushion the poor against load-shedding.
The executive mayor acknowledged the metro is battling a number of developmental challenges. These include spatial inequality, unemployment, a lack of affordable housing, crime, transport inefficiencies, and “gaps in service delivery” — including access to water, sanitation, energy and waste management.
The Gauteng metros of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane are run by coalitions as the 2021 municipal elections did not produce a clear winner.
The municipality received an unqualified audit with findings during the 2021/22 financial year.
After being elected mayor on May 5, Gwamanda faces increasing calls to step down, with opposition councillors accusing him of not being equal to the task of leading SA’s richest and largest metro.
Joburg contributes almost 20% to the national GDP and about 40% to Gauteng’s economy.
Gwamanda said the government running Joburg will double its efforts to ensure potholes are fixed, traffic lights work, grass is cut regularly and street lights work.
Loan facility
The Joburg metro’s finances remain “strained”, the mayor said. “In January 2023 we found a near bankrupt municipality sitting with more than R6bn in unpaid supplier invoices.”
The council approved a R2bn short-term loan facility from the Development Bank of Southern Africa to clear the unpaid invoices, he said.
“The reality is that without a financially sound city, we will not be able to invest as required in our core municipal mandate of delivering basic services, ensuring the security of electricity and water supply, efficient roads infrastructure and the many other service delivery matters that need attention,” he said.
Gwamanda said the council has mandated City Power and the city manager to extend its power purchase agreement with Kelvin Power Station by another three years — until October 2026.
“Now we purchase 87% of our power from Eskom, and Kelvin supports us with the balance of 13%,” he said.
“This added power will be beneficial to residents, especially during the winter peak period that we are entering as we anticipate a significant growth in demand.
“Working with [the provincial government], we are considering a number of initiatives to improve the energy mix and availability factor for the province and city.”
Gwamanda’s administration will also roll out rooftop solar installations for disadvantaged households. “By promoting renewable energy adoption, we aim to enhance energy security, reduce electricity costs, and contribute to a greener and more environmentally sustainable Johannesburg.”
To fight crime, the city will recruit about 2,000 crime wardens under a new initiative with the private sector.
Gwamanda said the coalition will address issues regarding housing, job creation and support to small businesses, as well as deterioration and decay in the CBD to attract investment.
Finance mayoral committee member and ANC Joburg regional chair Dada Morero will explain how these service delivery initiatives will be funded when he delivers the city’s budget for the 2023/24 financial year on June 13.
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