Johannesburg Executive Mayor Parks Tau; Speaker of Council, Conny Bapela; and Member of the Mayoral Council for Public Safety, Sello Lemao recently honoured fallen Metro police and Emergency Services officers in a parade at the Metro Centre in Braamfontein.
Following the parade, Tau delivered his last State of the City Address (Soca) on 4 May in Turffontein. He used the opportunity to outline some of the achievements of his tenure since taking office in 2011, and said his administration had covered a vast distance in a short space of time, keeping up with all the promises that they made when they took up office.
“We committed to an inclusive, job-intensive, resilient and competitive economy that harnesses the potential of its citizens,” Tau said in reference to the City’s job creation programmes comprising Jozi@work and Vulindlel’ eJozi.
In his speech, themed according to Joburg’s new economic democracy, Tau said the economy of Joburg is rising because they are bridging the digital divide. According to the mayor, the process started with investments the City made to transform Joburg into a smart city, with more than 1 100km of broadband and fibre-optic cable put in place.
Adding to some of the achievements of his administration, Tau mentioned that the City had connected 66 of 87 libraries to high-speed Internet, provided at no cost to the public, in areas such as Orange Farm, Lenasia, Diepsloot, Randburg, Westbury, Emmarentia, Cosmo City, Ennerdale, Florida, Roodepoort and Soweto.
He further said that the City’s backbone of Corridors of Freedom and the enabler of access to the rising economic democracy is reliable, affordable and dignified public transport. The Rea Vaya Phase 1A and 1B began quality services between Soweto, Riverlea, Noordgesig, Westbury, Auckland Park and Johannesburg CBD.
Tau shared that the City, in support of the Louis-Botha Corridor, is currently implementing the third phase of the Rea Vaya system and is extending it to Alexandra, Sandton, Midrand, Ivory Park and Randburg. Included here will be three new iconic bridges over the M1, two dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists, and the third for Rea Vaya.
The mayor spoke about other developments still taking place in some of the parts of the city. In the Sandton CBD, a dedicated loop for all forms of public transport is under construction and dedicated cycling and wider sidewalks are being completed. Tau said this development will transform Sandton from a car-centred hub into one which can be easily and safely accessed by all commuters.
“A successful EcoMobility World Festival was held in October last year where the use of streets was changed in the Sandton CBD to show that reducing reliance on the private car is possible,” explained Tau. He highlighted that the festival had provided the City with key insight into how to improve mobility through Sandton, especially considering the estimated 600 000 square metres of additional office, commercial and residential space currently being developed.
Tau also expressed his concern over the high level of vandalism and cable theft on municipal infrastructure; particularly traffic signs and substations. “This should be seen as economic sabotage because it robs citizens of access to basic services and opportunities to improve their economic status. We welcome the new law recently approved by cabinet to criminalise vandalism and cable theft and impose stiff sentences for offenders. ”
