Johannesburg - An economic growth rate of 5% for the City of Joburg, keeping clinics open for extended hours, the elimination of corruption, the revival of the inner city and a complete list of built but not allocated houses are some of the main aims of the city’s new mayor.
These were some of the 10 resolutions taken by the members of the mayoral committee, the city manager Trevor Fowler, executives responsible for departments and municipal-owned entities at a four-day session held at the Joburg Theatre last week.
The sessions were held to help the new political leadership understand what is required to speed up service delivery to residents, said mayor Herman Mashaba.
A ten-point plan was agreed to.
This includes:
* A recognition by the political and administrative leadership of the political arrangement/coalition imposed by the electorate in Joburg. This was necessary to help the city move forward with speed and to be responsible to the electorate’s wishes;
* Joburg must run a responsive and pro-poor government. This city can be business-friendly and pro-poor at the same time, said Mashaba.
* Plans and policies must be aligned for the city to work towards achieving a 5% economic growth rate. While this is an ambitious target, given that the country’s own economic growth rate is projected at 0.6% by the Reserve Bank, the city appreciates the fact that if it does not achieve this, unemployment will remain high, the youth will still be out of school and out of jobs at the end of this term, said Mashaba. Joburg should become the engine of the country’s economic growth and this can’t happen at the current growth rate, he said. Achieving this 5 % jump requires both government and the business sector to join hands, understanding that it is absolutely critical for the city to achieve 5% GDP growth because failing to kickstart the Joburg economy will have dire implications beyond Joburg’s own borders.
* Create a professional public service that serves Joburg residents with pride. Our residents deserve a city which serves them with the highest standards delivered by a civil service that is dedicated and proud;
* Ensure that corruption is public enemy number one in Joburg. Corruption steals from the poor and should be nipped in the bud, Mashaba said. Investigations must be conducted into alleged fraud or corruption and the administration will work closely with law enforcement authorities to see to it that nobody is above the law, he added.
* Revive the inner city to bring people and business back into the inner city. The official housing waiting list should get signed-off by the mayor within 90 days. Unlike before, it will be publicly available at government offices, and to communities, to ensure that it is transparent, he said.
* Produce, within 60 days, a report on the number of completed houses built by the city and the province - but not yet allocated or handed over to beneficiaries. It is unacceptable that there are houses that have been built, but remain unoccupied when many of our residents live without acceptable accommodation, said Mashaba.
* Fast track the handover of title deeds - to ordinary residents, churches and businesses.
* Use one of the clinics as a pilot project to investigate possibilities of availing our health facilities to residents for extended hours. Universal access to health is an ideal the city must work towards. Budgets permitting, and by cutting unnecessary expenditure, we must strive to extend the hours at our clinics to ensure a healthy citizenry, Mashaba said.
* A city that is business-friendly attracts investors and entrepreneurs and this leads to the creation of much-needed jobs. Forty percent of issues plaguing South Africa are self-inflicted, said Mashaba. “This great city of the African continent needs to apply itself to what holds us back, cut red tape and ensure we not only improve efficiencies, but also serve with pride. When we achieve this - and we encourage business to join us on this journey to make Joburg great again – we will all see that our aspiration to achieve the 5% GDP growth is not overly ambitious. It is, with the right attitudes within the city, with business coming on board, very achievable,” he said.
The mayor said he had to over-emphasise the importance of the creation of a professional public service.
“It is, indeed, a precondition for success. For us to ensure that services get to the intended people, we also need to declare corruption as public enemy number one in Joburg. Everyone, from politicians to officials, must ensure that corruption is not tolerated. Our plans must be bold and ambitious. Our implementation must match that boldness. Joburg residents have waited for far too long for decent provision of services. We can’t make them wait any longer,” he concluded.