WATCH: Makhubo backs Jozi@Work programme Mashaba claimed favoured ANC

Johannesburg Mayor Geoff Makhubo has criticised his predecessor Herman Mashaba for his decision to scrap the Jozi@Work programme in 2017, which Mashaba maintained had favoured members of ANC branches above unemployed residents of Johannesburg.

Makhubo during an interview said it was a pity that a programme such as Jozi@Work was cancelled as city residents needed to be engaged and not just passive recipients of services. He said a programme such as Jozi@Work engaged citizens in the delivery of services in their own local municipalities and scrapping the programme was pitiful.

Outlining his plans for the city he said the ANC, who were now in the driving seat, would push for transformation as it regarded itself as “a government of local unity” and was solely focussed on delivering to its communities.

His plans for the city involved bringing law and order back into the city, including cleanliness and safety.

Admitting that the metro was concerned about land invasions, he would obtain a detailed strategy against land invasions on Thursday to ensure that there were no further such incidences, but also to counter existing ones.

“I will receive a detailed action plan. Our strategy is two-fold. One is to ensure that there are no further land invasions, and the second is to counter the existing ones.”

The Johannesburg branch of the ANC was angered by Mashaba’s decision to scrap the progamme in 2017, and accused the then-mayor of scrapping a programme that created thousands of jobs for the unemployed residents of Joburg.

“Through Jozi@Work‚ the ANC government put over R3 billion aside for the benefit of cooperatives and local companies. The move by Mr Mashaba will inevitably take away this money from the poor and unemployed residents of Johannesburg who had found work in the programme.”

The party denied claims that the programme favoured members of the ANC branches over other locals.

Mashaba scrapped the programme initiated by previous ANC mayor Parks Tau because it was according to him: “a vanity project” for patronage purposes.

The former mayor has also criticised Makhubo’s appointment and said it was as bizarre as Jacob Zuma becoming president of the country in 2007.

Expressing his views on Makhubo on eNCA, Mashaba said the ANC appeared to have shockingly overlooked corruption allegations against Makhubo and that he could not believe that the party had no other candidate to put in charge of the metro.

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