‘Not very pleasing’ – Ramaphosa’s tough talk to Gauteng ahead of G20 Summit

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the Gauteng government to clean up ahead of the G20 Summit in November.

On Wednesday, Ramaphosa met with the Gauteng provincial executive committee on an oversight visit to improve service delivery.

Ramaphosa calls for Gauteng metros to be more ‘presentable’

He called on the executive to ensure Johannesburg shows its best side, as some of the G20 meetings will be held in the city.

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“This year, we have the opportunity to host the G20. It will manifest itself in about 130 meetings. Some of these meetings will happen here in Gauteng,” said Ramaphosa.

“As these meetings happen, it is the opportunity for Gauteng to gear up, to demonstrate that we did not make a mistake by choosing Gauteng to host the G20 meeting.

“We were correct in choosing Johannesburg to be the host of the G20. Gauteng must showcase itself to the world. It must be at its best in terms of the physical presentation and environment. Let us make our metros presentable.”

Watch: Ramaphosa meets with the Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee

Ramaphosa also talked tough with the executive when he expressed his disappointment with the environment, which he said was not pleasing.

“Sometimes it’s good to be direct and say it as it is; I should say that one or two meetings of the G20 that I attended here were not very pleasing.

“The environment that one observed was not a pleasing environment. I say this so that we can improve immensely,” said Ramaphosa.

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He called on the executive to address the governance failures, financial mismanagement, crumbling infrastructure, crime, lawlessness and unreliable service delivery that are destroying Johannesburg.

G20 routes

Last week, Joburg mayor Dada Morero faced backlash for saying the city’s clean-up campaign would prioritise G20 routes.

The mayor said: “We have prioritised certain routes within Johannesburg, which are G20 routes, to ensure that at least we can make them at the standard at which they should be. No potholes, no traffic signals that are not working.”

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He was highly criticised and accused of admitting to neglecting other parts of the city in favour of the G20 routes.

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in Johannesburg welcomed the acceleration of service delivery, but called on the mayor to extend this initiative beyond the G20 routes.

“These issues affect the daily lives of all residents, and it is only fair that service delivery improvements be implemented across the entire city, not just in areas set to be showcased to international delegates,” said UDM councillor in the City of Joburg Yongama Zigebe.

“We call on the mayor to outline a comprehensive and transparent plan for citywide infrastructure maintenance, ensuring that all communities, especially those that have been historically disadvantaged, benefit from sustainable service delivery.”

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The GOOD Party said Morero’s comments highlighted how the city “has disregarded its basic mandate to provide infrastructure and services which allow safety, security and economic growth in Africa’s most economically significant city”.

The mayor later told Radio 702 host Clement Manyathela that his comments were a “language issue”, and not an admission of neglecting the city.