Achieving freedom is not an event but an everyday practice

Late Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu reminded us we are created for freedom.

I reflect on these words when I think about the work the Johannesburg multi-party government must actively play daily in realising the prescripts of the Constitution that speak to freedom, directly and broadly.

The work we do is driven by a call to serve and build a city of golden opportunities, where Johannesburg’s residents, regardless of status or location across its seven regions, are free to be who they are and are equally free to pursue work, educational and personal opportunities.

To achieve this, we need a council, executive and administration that works towards the same service delivery or developmental objectives, which are summed up by the seven mayoral priorities: a City that gets the basics right, a business-friendly City, a safe and secure City, a caring City, a smart City, a well-run City and an inclusive City.

The Joburg multi-party government’s focused and coordinated commitment to this framework will enable us to build a city of golden opportunities, where the residents can truly call themselves free.

With a full understanding of the extent of Joburg’s problems and the frustration and anger that these problems cause residents, we are making daily progress in building a City where the residents can live freely.

Just the other day, in a Council sitting that sat until late in the evening, a united and determined multi-party government made decisions that will give the Administration the direction to operationalise or put into action further programmes of the multi-party government outlined during the State of the City Address recently.

We paved the way towards appointing a permanent city manager, a decision that will add further energy to the work of the City.

Understanding the economic pressures residents face, MMC for Finance Julie Suddaby received the support of Council to expand the criteria of residents who will qualify for assistance from the City through the Debt Rehabilitation Programme. For example, qualifying distressed ratepayers will be able to access a 100% debt write-off on an outstanding balance that is more than 90 days where the applicant is a pensioner or registered indigent customer.

The multi-party government, through the work of MMC for Economic Development Nkuli Mbundu, passed the Informal Trade Policy (ITP). The policy recognises the importance of informal traders in our City and the need to regulate and empower this economic sector. It, furthermore, in part, signals our investment in the inner-city and other business nodes, where the sector is well represented.

Our commitment to rebuilding the CBD was given a boost with the approval of plans spearhead by MMC for Community Development Ronald Harris for what will be known as the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Precinct. The Inner-City Precinct encompasses the broader area around the St Mary’s Cathedral, where the late man of the cloth and fighter for freedom served as dean and later bishop of Johannesburg.

The approval of the plan means the allocation of resources to clean, keep safe and develop the area.

Cable theft across the City is rampant, and I am committed to acting and coordinating our local response to secure critical economic infrastructure. With the roll-out of our strategy, I will be joining the national government and Provincial SAPS this week in an operational campaign to combat what is sabotage on our City and our efforts to build and sustain economic activity.

We do not have another 28 years to correct the years of apartheid or time to blame previous democratic administrations.

As the multi-party government, our commitment to freedom is and will always be an everyday act of service to the six million residents of Johannesburg. That is our pledge on this Freedom Day.Mayor Mpho Phalatse