Just over a year ago, the Multi-Party Government began the difficult and necessary work of repairing and rebuilding the City of Johannesburg for and with residents. 
During our strategic planning sessions, it was important that we identified areas where we could make a lasting impact on the lives of all 6-million residents across the City.

This meant understanding what our mandate is as a local government authority.  Local government derives its authority from the highest law in the land, the Constitution, where in Section 152 it outlines the role of the City, which aligns with the first Mayoral Priority of ‘A City the gets the basics right’. 

 The Constitution calls upon local government to, among other things:  Ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner; Promote social and economic development; and Promote a safe and healthy environment In other words, getting the basics right means that the Multi-Party Government must:  Ensure there is clean water and a sanitary environment for every community; Provide a hygienic environment to live, work, play and pray; Give residents their power back; and Create and maintain public spaces for all to enjoy This must be the case in Region B and Joburg as a whole.

 Getting the basics right is the engine that powers the City; and if we neglect this priority area, we can forget about having a city that works.  This priority runs through every Department and Entity.

 It is the role of the Multi-Party Government along with the City Administration, led by the City Manager, as well as Entity Management to ensure that the woman and men on the frontline of service delivery are provided with the necessary tools to do their work in service of residents. 

This is why we chose not only to deliver speeches but to also hear from you and walk through the Region so we can see and hear for ourselves where the gaps exist, but also to acknowledge the work that has already been done by you to repair and rebuild our City.

As politicians we cannot just rely on reports to make an assessment, regularly we must get our hands dirty and walk the journey, even the difficult parts, so that together we can establish Joburg as a City of Golden Opportunities.

 The Multi-Party Government realises the importance of having Regions around the decision-making table, as you fully understand the communities that you serve. It is for this reason that we have co-opted Regional Directors onto the Mayoral Committee – a key decision-making body of the City, chaired by the Executive Mayor.

 As frontline works, the Regional Director is your representative on the Mayoral Committee. You have a voice at the very top of the City, and you must use that voice.

 This also means the Regional Director has a direct line of accountability, where he must be able to account for where the more the R620-million (R623,644,500) that will be invested in this Region over the 2022/23 and 2024/25 financial years is put to good use.

 I know that this Region, and many parts of the City suffer extended hours without power due factors such as aged infrastructure; the effects of rolling blackouts that places strain on our infrastructure and stretches human resources; and illegal electricity connections.

 It is why we have dedicated R1,2-billion to City Power for infrastructure upgrades, and an additional R1,6-billion for the reduction of power outages.

 In addition to this we have gone out to the market to source alternative energy sources directly from independent power producers so that Joburg does not rely on Eskom to keep the lights on.  Again, over the 2022/23 and 2024/25 financial years City Power will be, and has started, with capital projects worth over R36-million (R36,077,000) in this Region.

  I look forward to hearing from you on how we can improve your working conditions and what more support the Executive can give you. 

Getting the basics right, and repairing and rebuilding Joburg is not the job of an individual or the Executive alone.
It is our collective responsibility as servants of the City working with and for residents. 

Ke a leboga. Baie dankie. Ngiyabonga. Thank you! 

The following remarks were delivered by the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Mpho Phalatse, at the Walter Sisulu Sports Hall, Randburg (Region B) during the second leg of the Region-by-Region Golden Connection Mayoral Tour