City of Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba has tabled his plans to revive the city.
Mashaba said his plans were bold and ambitious and urged his team to ensure that the implementation of the plans matched this boldness.
Read also: 4 things Herman Mashaba plans to improve as mayor of JHB
Topping his list to deliver services, the mayor said the City was investigating the possibilities of keeping Johannesburg’s clinics open for extended hours.
“Joburg residents have waited for far too long for decent provision of services. We can’t make them wait any longer,” read a statement from Mashaba.
He committed to run an inclusive government that would recognise everyone involved in the running of the city, including political and administrative leadership. Mashaba cited that this was a necessity in order to make it possible to render services speedily.
According to him, the city could be business-friendly and pro-poor at the same time, benefiting all. “A city that is business friendly attracts investors and entrepreneurs and this leads to the creation of much-needed jobs.”
He added that 40 per cent of the issues plaguing South Africa were self-inflicted. “This great city of the African continent needs to apply itself to what holds us back, cut red tape and ensure we not only improve efficiency but also serve with pride.”
The optimistic mayor said plans and policies must be aligned for the City to work towards achieving a 5 per cent economic growth rate. He, however, did acknowledge that the target was ambitious, given that the country’s economic growth rate was projected at 0.6 per cent by the South African Reserve Bank, cautioning that if the City failed to achieve the set target, unemployment would remain high.
“The youth will still be out of school and out of jobs at the end of this term. We want Joburg to be the engine of the country’s economic growth. This can’t happen at the current growth rate.
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“We appreciate that achieving this 5 per cent jump requires both government and the business sector to join hands, understanding that it is absolutely critical for us to achieve this growth target because failing to kick-start the Joburg economy has dire implications beyond Joburg’s own borders.”
Other plans which Mashaba seeks to be implemented include:
- Creating a professional public service which serves Joburg residents with pride.
- Ensuring that corruption is public enemy number one in Joburg. Corruption steals from the poor and should be nipped in the bud. Fraud or corruption allegations must be investigated, and the administration must work closely with law enforcement authorities to see to it that nobody is above the law.
- Reviving the inner city to encourage people and businesses to return.
- Completing the official housing waiting list and get it signed off in 90 days.
- Produce a report within 60 days on the number of completed houses built by the City and the province, but not yet allocated or handed over to beneficiaries.
- Fast-track the handover of title deeds to ordinary residents, churches and businesses.
- Using one of the City’s clinics as a pilot project to investigate the possibility of health facilities being open for extended hours.
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