Joburg needs an overhaul

Do the interventions of two Cabinet ministers in Johannesburg crises fill you with confidence that taps won’t run dry and lights will stay on?

Many who work daily with complaints about water, electricity and much else, are not persuaded.

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s engagement with Eskom and City Power did not resolve much.

City Power customers could still be cut off if the entity does not make arrangements to pay Eskom.

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The irony of City Power being threatened like this is not lost on any who know how ruthlessly City Power applies disconnections.

City Power is bankrupt, losing money every month. There is nothing on the horizon to suggest a turnaround.

The overall effect of this latest episode will be to persuade more people to seek alternative power.

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina’s visit was more focused on practical solutions, some of which are in place.

Overnight throttling of water supply is not new in my ward, even if the frequency and duration will increase from tomorrow, “until the system has fully recovered”. Whenever that may be.

“Procurement of a panel of contractors for emergency repairs of large diameter pipe water leaks, as well as increasing the number of teams on standby during the week to attend to leaks and burst pipes,” sounds wonderful.

However, procurement of a panel of contractors is a signal for a Gadarene rush of ANC and EFF connections looking for a trough from which to gorge.

In nearly 10 years as a councillor, I have seen the pattern ad nauseam. Contractors are appointed whose only credentials are their connections.

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They are paid, despite incomplete or substandard work. Seldom blacklisted, they keep getting contracts. Pipe replacement and repair are too important to be left to grifters, which will happen unless the talentless, politically connected Joburg Water Board is replaced.

“Increasing the number of repair and maintenance teams on duty during the weekend” is necessary.

As with all procurement, it has the potential to further drain Joburg Water funds if it is not corruption-free and tightly managed.

Missing from these ministerial interventions is an admission that radical change is urgently required. We need a complete overhaul of the way things are done in Joburg.

None of the suggestions tackles root causes such as corruption, inefficiency, negligence and nonchalance. Attitude is a problem in Joburg.

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Many employees couldn’t care less about the overall good of the city, or about ratepayers. There are numerous exceptions but too many on the payroll have no pride in their work.

They’ll happily leave a mess at any site where they have worked, sometimes in the expectation that someone else will tidy up. Sometimes they simply don’t give a damn either way. There’s a reason.

Since the break-up of the metro into different entities there has been a diffusion of responsibility and care. Even within entities you find different divisions pulling in different directions, trying to escape responsibility.

To rescue Joburg may require more national government intervention. It will require strong leadership and a comprehensive bureaucratic restructuring in a way that encourages team spirit. All pulling together – with pride – for the same goal of rescuing Joburg.