HUNDREDS of politicians, local and international guests and representatives of the media gathered in Turffontein Racecourse to listen to the State of the City Address (SOCA).
The Johannesburg municipality’s SOCA was held at the Turffontein Racecourse on Wednesday, May 5, and broadcast live across various media platforms to accommodate those at home.
CoJ executive mayor, Clr Parks Tau, mentioned that the City of Johannesburg is using the Corridors of Freedom programme, which includes the South’s very own Turffontein Corridor of Freedom, to provide opportunities for people to move in from the edges of the city so as to combine the living and working spaces. In the South, this corridor of freedom will also benefit the poverty stricken Turffontein, Rosettenville, La Rochelle and South Hills areas.
The new South Hills mixed-use, mixed-income housing development demonstrates what can be done through creative partnerships with the private sector.
“In South Hills, we have supplied the land and the private sector has funded and built the development, supplying social housing and RDPs as a condition of the deal. At the heart of the Turffontein Corridor, we are converting the central part of De Villiers Street into a linear park along which retail, small-scale trading and a range of other uses will prosper, with dedicated areas for those cycling and walking. We are investing heavily in Wemmer Pan to increase its value as an area for social and recreational activities. We are transforming this former concentration camp into a symbol of our integrated future. As our new economic democracy rises, so will Turffontein. We are undoing the great injustices of how apartheid designed and developed our cities,” Tau said.
The mayor also said that the City aims to bring poor people closer to the city so they can also access adequate transport. He encouraged young people to register for the Vulindlel’ Ejozi programme for skills and development opportunities, and further expressed the City’s concern for the level of vandalism and cable theft.
While the SOCA’s debate will be held on Friday, May 6, DA mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba, has already informed EyeWitness News that the SOCA was detached from reality and did not speak to those living in informal settlements.
Visit the City of Johannesburg’s website to read the complete speech.
Please view the gallery below.
