Baldwin Ndaba looks at the two candidates for Joburg mayor, and their plans for the city.
Parks Tau
Parks Tau, the ANC mayoral candidate for Joburg, has been serving the city since his election in May 2011. He is the second executive mayor of Joburg after Amos Masondo who served two terms from 2000.
While Tau faces an uphill battle to finish his second term, he is one of the longest-serving councillors in the city since 2000 when he was initially elected to council.
He became a member of Masondo’s mayoral committee in 2000 and served until he was elected executive mayor in 2011.
Tau is chairman of the South African Local Government Association in Gauteng and also chairman of the South African Cities Network. He is also deputy chairman of the UN Special Advisory Committee on Safer Cities.
In addition, he is the regional chairman of the ANC in Joburg. He began his political career at the age of 14 and was propelled into various leadership positions as a member of Cosas and the Soweto Youth Congress.
In the 1980s, he was elected president of the Soweto Youth Congress. He took on more responsibility as he joined his political icons at the forefront of the liberation struggle until he was eventually elected Joburg's executive mayor.
Tau obtained a Master’s degree in public policy and management at the University of London.
He believes he has led Joburg into strategic partnerships to advance its spatial and socio-economic transformation and that the city is a leader in developmental governance and is on par with other global cities.
Herman Mashaba
Herman Mashaba, the DA’s mayoral candidate for Joburg, vows he will be the city's new mayor after the August 3 municipal elections.
He says: “Corruption, hollow promises, poor implementation and inefficient governance are holding us back, keeping the poor in poverty, and the workless unemployed.
“Today’s ANC is not delivering the life-changing opportunities for the many who remain marginalised by apartheid’s legacy.
“Local government is at the forefront of delivering the building blocks of real opportunity for people, and I believe that by bringing change to Johannesburg we can begin to truly redress the imbalances of the past.
“And that’s why I want to use this moment to share what I will do if elected.
“In this modern age of the city, Johannesburg must compete with dynamic African cities like Cape Town, Nairobi and Lagos. We live in a constantly changing global economy and Johannesburg’s leadership and innovative edge is threatened today by a government that is taking us backwards.
“In the mayor’s office, I will apply the same brand of leadership that I used to build up Black Like Me into a business that is in millions of homes around South Africa. It did not happen by chance. It took grit and drive. When I recruit, employ and train new workers, I identify the skills my companies need and I pursue them with passion.
“This is how I intend to provide excellent service delivery for all. I've been privileged to work every day to create jobs for thousands of South Africans, and I intend to bring that same commitment to government in Johannesburg.
“In the public service, we need to employ people who can do the job, not friends and family. We need to relentlessly seek out investment opportunities, have a proper system for attracting investment, and investors must know their investments will be treated fairly. Smart city administrations create the conditions for a vibrant private sector in which small and medium business can flourish.
“We must give incentives to small business owners who create jobs and give shares to their workers. We will give title deeds to our citizens to buy their homes and land so it becomes much easier for black people to access funds to establish businesses.
“We must also ensure that our infrastructure is in good shape and it works. As a city we can and must do better to deliver services. I'll ensure that every rand spent by the Johannesburg metro government is spent on quality outcomes, is value for money and improves the lives of people.
“I will not accept the blunting of opportunity of Joburg’s youth. I will not be satisfied until every person who can work starts the day with a decent job, or their own small business.
“A DA government under my leadership will declare war on the dealers of nyaope and other drugs. “There is a truth that I’ve know my entire life: the only true freedom is economic freedom. Creating jobs is the only way to mend our broken society.”
The Sunday Independent