ANNA COX
S oweto is to get a new R1.2-billion development in the form of the Oasis Soweto initiative. The project will see new offices, townhouses, apartments, the construction of the Oasis Heroes Bridge, and retail and hotel facilities. Khumalo Street in Rockville will also be upgraded.
And the City of Joburg is to dedicate 10 metro police officers to each of its 130 wards and make all municipal staff sign service-level agreements.
These are just some of the bold plans that executive mayor Parks Tau announced in his annual State of the City address yesterday.
The city, though, faces a R100 billion ageing infrastructure time-bomb.
The mayor glossed over some of the more noticeable failures of his administration, including the municipal billing crisis and the stalled urban renewal project.
Tau said the agreements would be signed by all municipal entities and departments committing senior managers to certain standards and clear targets.
At least five of Joburg’s biggest service delivery departments are beset with allegations of misspending, fraud and corruption.
Tau said an amount of R100bn was needed within the next 10 years for water reticulation, stormwater drains, electricity substations, roads and waste treatment plants. The money would be raised through private/public partnerships and government grants. He said the north-western area of Joburg had been identified for expansion and growth.
Tau said the Alex Renewal Project must be looked at again with a view to integrating the area with Sandton. But he failed to mention that the project had come to a standstill.
Other areas in which the council has failed are with urban regeneration and housing. The inner-city rejuvenation had been a success, Tau said, attracting new investments and reducing crime. But he did not mention that property developers and investors were threatening to pull out because of the billing woes.
Transportation was another area in which Tau claimed success, but he failed to mention delays on the new bus routes. Regarding health, he said the city had 50 clinics, but didn’t inform residents that their operating hours had been reduced to cut costs.
He said 98 percent of residents had water and 91 percent sanitation.
Tau acknowledged that the billing crisis remained a source of frustration. “This remains one of our top focus areas,” he said.