Closing remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa for the meeting with City of Johannesburg stakeholders

Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Cllr Dada Morero,
Premier of Gauteng, Mr Panyaza Lesufi,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
MMCs,
Speaker of Council,
Representatives of organised labour and organised business,
Representatives of civil society organisations,
Religious leaders,
Citizens of Johannesburg,

I want to thank you for all the contributions made this afternoon and for the  spirit in which this meeting was conducted. 

We have heard your concerns and the proposals put forward to improve service delivery and drive inclusive growth. 

As a resident of Johannesburg, I share the concerns that have been expressed here about the deterioration of services and infrastructure. 

Over the last two days, members of the National Executive have engaged the leadership of Gauteng and the City of Johannesburg on the challenges they face and the work that is being done to address them. 

We are committed to ensuring cooperation among the three spheres of government to urgently attend to these challenges. 

Johannesburg is a special place.

Its neighbourhoods and townships are rich with a history of resistance and struggle. 

Johannesburg’s diversity has always been its greatest from strength. From Lenasia to Alexandra, from Parkhurst to Eldorado Park, this city espouses unity in diversity. 

In the democratic period, Johannesburg has become one of the foremost cultural, political and economic centres in our country.

It is therefore vital to the country’s future.

The Government of National Unity has prioritised reaching 3.5 percent growth by 2030 to create the jobs South Africans need. 

Our metropolitan areas will be critical to driving that growth. 

Metros can only play this vital role if bulk infrastructure is working, if citizens are thriving and safe, and if transport infrastructure is enabling the flow of goods and people. 

For South Africa to thrive, Johannesburg must lead on good governance, service delivery and economic growth. 

I have heard today how the ongoing disruptions in water and electricity provision are making the lives of residents difficult. 

I have also heard how deteriorating road infrastructure – including potholes, unsafe bridges, dysfunctional street lights and stolen traffic lights – are exacerbating congestion and a sense of disorder. 

We are equally concerned about the closure of public facilities, like the Johannesburg Library, the Johannesburg Art Gallery and the Metro Centre.

Unfinished and delayed infrastructure projects including Rea Vaya bus stations and the refurbishment of Lilian Ngoyi Street must be prioritised. 

We also share the sentiment that there needs to be a collaborative focus on rejuvenating the inner city of Johannesburg and the city’s townships. 

Through the Department of Cooperative Governance, National Treasury and the Provincial Government, we are supporting the City of Johannesburg to stabilise its governance and financial affairs. 

These are the critical levers that will unlock service delivery and begin to address the backlog in infrastructure provision. 

A year ago, I announced the establishment of a Presidential Working Group in eThekwini, which brought government together with stakeholders in business, organised labour and civil society. 

Like Johannesburg, eThekwini was facing similar issues related to water disruptions, crime and governance challenges.

The model we piloted in eThekwini has shown good progress, resulting in a steady improvement in business and societal confidence. 

Our learnings in eThekwini make us confident that this is the correct model to address Johannesburg’s many challenges. 

Over the last month, the Presidency has engaged the City of Johannesburg, the province of Gauteng and some social partners on establishing a Presidential Johannesburg Working Group. 

There has been broad support from everyone engaged for an intergovernmental mechanism that will strengthen cooperation and leverage the expertise and resources of all stakeholders in the City of Johannesburg. 

Today’s discussions have further cemented this approach.

The Presidential Johannesburg Working Group will focus on many of the issues raised here today. 

The first focus will be on governance and financial sustainability. 

We will work to strengthen the internal governance and financial management of the city by restoring institutional capacity. 

The second focus will be on water and sanitation and the third focus will be on electricity. 

We will work to stabilise critical infrastructure by improving maintenance, increasing funding and focusing on the whole value chain. 

The fourth focus will be on public spaces and beautifying the city. 

Specific interventions will include fixing road infrastructure, restoring street lighting and traffic lights, and enhancing waste collection throughout the city. 

On safety, the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group will focus on improving law enforcement and urban security. 

Particular focus will be on combating infrastructure crime and vandalism, enforcing by-laws, and increasing police visibility in crime hotspots. 

The Working Group will work with social partners to accelerate delivery of housing and the upgrading of informal settlements. 

In the inner city, we will launch a rejuvenation project, focusing on improved safety, infrastructure upgrades and housing redevelopment.

Through this we aim to encourage investment and create a vibrant and clean urban core that delivers for everyone. 

We have set out a timeframe of two years for the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group. 

This Working Group will report on a regular basis to the Ministers and myself. 

We cannot act as if it is business as usual.

We must recognise the crisis before us and meet it with the resources, timeframes and accountability measures required. 

Government cannot do it alone. 

The involvement of broader stakeholders in the Working Group will not only hold us collectively accountable to the targets set, but accelerate our efforts. 

In the coming weeks, my team will be engaging business, labour, civil society and academia regarding their respective roles in the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group. 

I look forward to receiving an update on all the stakeholders that have committed to support this initiative. 

We are confident that this partnership will improve the quality of life of Johannesburg’s residents. 

Johannesburg is a city of resilience, innovation and hope. 

Let us move forward with determination, unity and a shared commitment to leaving no one behind. 

I thank you.