City of Joburg and private sector sign MoU to revive inner city

The City of Johannesburg and the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership, represented by the City Improvement District Forum, recently signed a memorandum of understanding in which they decided to work together to revitalise and regenerate the Johannesburg inner city, North Eastern Tribune reports.

This agreement was reached during an Inner City Partnership Forum at Museum Africa in Newtown convened by the City in the hopes of engaging the private sector, developers, investors and other stakeholders to seek solutions for the urban that which is suffocating the inner city.

In part, the memorandum reads: “The parties agree to work as a collective to establish a steering committee outlining actions on which to partner for improved cleanliness in the inner city, mobilising the necessary support and funding to enable the project to succeed. The memorandum aims to establish issues of mutual interest, investment opportunities and processes that will assist in meeting the objectives of a clean and healthy City.”

Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba urged the private sector to join the City in its mission to make the inner city a place of opportunity for all.

Three Members of the Mayoral Committee joined Mashaba. They were Michael Sun (Public Safety), Nico de Jager (Environment and Infrastructure Services) and Sharon Peetz (Economic Development).

The Johannesburg Inner City Partnership was represented by Anne Steffny.

“This is your opportunity to help us turn around hijacked and bad buildings. We bank on you to make the inner city a construction site within 12 months.

READ MORE: Mashaba’s Joburg is not ‘bankrupt’, says finance MMC

“When you invest your money you must know you have the government’s support. I have dedicated resources to turn the city around and I need your help to do it. Together we have the potential to succeed and make the city full of opportunities for entrepreneurs and artisans,” Mashaba said.

Peetz told the forum her department had set aside R5.8 million for an investment master plan, R9 million for informal trading and R35 million for the development of small, medium and micro enterprises.

Sun said his department deployed 198 police officers, 30 vehicles, 80 points men and a management unit to enforce bylaws in the hotspots identified by the Metro police.

Sun said CCTV cameras installed in the inner city were now linked to the Intelligence Operators Centre at the Public Safety office. Additional CCTV cameras will soon be rolled out. He added that the City plans to establish a municipal court to deal with by-law offences.

Mashaba’s strategic adviser, Thabo Maisela, said the Johannesburg Development Agency, Johannesburg Social Housing Company and the housing department have appointed a team of experts to prepare and implement a strategy to deal with the housing problem.

The Johannesburg Inner City Partnership will make presentations to the city in the next few weeks.

READ MORE

https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/mashabas-joburg-is-not-bankrupt-says-finance-mmc/

– Caxton News Service

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter