By Charmaine Ndlela
Herman Mashaba, leader of ActionSA and the party’s mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg, has said that the metro deserves leadership that delivers, and the the time to restore law and order in Joburg has come.
Mashaba made the remarks in Orlando East, where he engaged with community members as part of the party’s “Operation Fix Joburg” campaign.
“This campaign is driven by the clear mandate of the residents of Johannesburg who are demanding real change and decisive leadership,” he said.
In his address, Mashaba outlined the five pillars of Operation Fix Joburg, which focus on tackling corruption, failing services, unemployment and crime.
Mashaba said he will restore law and order, fight corruption and hold those who have failed the city accountable.
He added that he will fix Johannesburg’s failing services so residents get what they pay for, create opportunities to tackle unemployment, and invest in the city’s youth while protecting them from the scourge of drugs
He warned that Joburg is under siege as criminal syndicates and illegal immigration fuel drugs, unemployment, and the destruction of young lives.
“The future of our children cannot be surrendered,” he stressed.
Mashaba further said that the future of Johannesburg should not be left “in the hands of a corrupt few while the ethical majority watches from the sidelines”.
In an exclusive interview with Inside Politics last week, Mashaba expanded on his plans for the city.
“The city is collapsing in front of our eyes,” he said. “It’s not just about potholes and broken traffic lights. It’s about our safety, our communities and the social fabric of our society. If Johannesburg does not work, South Africa will not work.”
“The city council is estimated to need more than R200 billion to address long-overdue maintenance and critical upgrades to its deteriorating roads, power grid and water systems,” he said.
He added that the city is currently governed by a fragile ANC-led coalition and has had 10 mayors in less than a decade, including himself from 2016 to 2019.
Mashaba said ageing infrastructure lies at the heart of Johannesburg’s crisis.
“Our water infrastructure is old. Our substations are outdated. You cannot have taps running dry while dams are full. That is a failure of governance,” he said.
Upgrading infrastructure would be a top priority, he added.
“We need to invest in water, electricity and proper maintenance. A modern city cannot function on infrastructure built for a population of less than two million when we now serve more than six million legal residents.
He concluded by saying,” I will put residents first as Joburg mayor.”
INSIDE POLITICS