The City unveils big plans
JOBURG – Johannesburg Executive Mayor Mpho Parks Tau has outlined his achievements and upcoming city plans during his State of the City address.
Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Mpho Parks Tau says the City’s tomorrow should be better than its today.
During his State of the City address at the Metro Centre in Braamfontein on 6 May, Mayor Tau highlighted some of the City’s achievements and upcoming groundbreaking projects.
The City of Joburg’s Achievements:
• Built 1000 quality social housing and rental places
• Delivered 12 500 housing units for the underprivileged
• Resurfaced 323km of roads
• Upgraded 44km of gravel roads to surfaced roads
• Facilitated investment and business transactions worth R1 billion
• Ensured a five per cent reduction in the mortality rate from fire and pedestrian accidents through rendering quality emergency services
• Partnered with Discovery Health to launch the Jozi-Vitality schools programme, which will provide incentives to schools that improve indicators of pupils’ health.
Upcoming City Projects
• An innovative response to youth unemployment known as Vulindlel’ eJozi aims to break down barriers to opportunities for 200 000 youth by 2016
• Appointed an ombudsman who will soon start accepting complaints from the public about the City and its services
• 250 000 tons of rubble from illegal dump sites will be converted into a new form of stone paper
• Organic waste will be diverted to bio-digesters in order to harvest gas for fuel and energy, adding material from the sewerage system
• Will incentivise and regulate the installation of low-flush toilets and water-saving urinals as a standard feature in Joburg homes, offices and commercial sites to save more water
• Ready to roll out the third phase of the bus rapid transit system between Alexandra, Sandton, Midrand, Ivory Park and the CBD
• Metrobus drivers will be retrained
• Capacity assessment of M1, M2 and Soweto Highway will commence soon but without any tolls
• Construction work has started on a new council chamber, that will include the provision of modern facilities for elected councillors, officials and members of the public who wish to attend meetings.
• Level of healthy offerings across the food retail sector will be raised.
The Metro Centre in Braamfontein will be turned into a 24-hour mixed-use campus that provides office space for all city departments and entities and also include residential apartments, retail shops and a People’s Square.
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