The City of Joburg is currently facing a massive infrastructure backlog of R170 billion that it will work to reduce by allocating an additional R10 billion a year to improving infrastructure.
Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba recently addressed the problems with the infrastructure backlog at the Integrated Development Plan meeting which saw him raising key points he hopes to address.
During his address, Mashaba said the City’s budget for roads is currently R262 million.
The total backlog of infrastructure problems that need to be fixed far surpasses the City’s total budget of just under R56 billion.
“I have said to the officials and the MMCs that I want to see our commitment to ensuring that we increase our expenditure on repairs and maintenance. At the same time though, I am saying that we need to see a minimum of 60 per cent going to our poor communities.” In the next few years, Mashaba plans to allocate up to 65 per cent to poorer communities.
Ward 117 councillor Tim Truluck said the additional R10 billion would not be immediately noticeable in big projects in his ward but rather smaller issues that have needed to be addressed such as electrical maintenance and roadworks on Jan Smuts Avenue near the Joburg Zoo.
Truluck also mentioned that half a million rand has been allocated to revamping the Parkhurst Recreation Centre and R5 million has been allocated to the Braamfontein Spruit.
Truluck said it would probably take decades to address problems, however, he believes it would be a snowball effect and things would become easier to maintain. His sentiment was echoed by Mashaba as he has continuously asked communities to bear with him as he attempts to address numerous problems.
Truluck said that addressing some of the problems would likely inconvenience residents but in the long term it would have a positive effect on all residents.
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