CITY OF JOHANNESBURG Building on a legacy of success.
Introduction
The City of Joburg has a primary mandate to deliver affordable, quality services to the more than 1.4 million households, businesses and industries within its borders. Through their regular interaction with the City, residents and stakeholders continuously define their expectations. They want a well-run municipality that manages the City’s finances in a responsible and accountable manner; a City that plans and delivers strategic infrastructure on which the future economic growth of South Africa’s largest metropolitan region will be built. Residents and ratepayers of Johannesburg expect of the City to deliver on sustainable and quality services: reliable electricity; water that meets the highest standards; dependable refuse removal services; a cost-effective road and public transport network; primary health care and social services; a responsive public safety and emergency system; and opportunities for commerce, leisure and quality human interaction. Despite the tough global economic climate, the City of Joburg made significant achievements during the 2011/12 financial year. More than 98% of the residents of Johannesburg can now open a tap to receive clean drinking water of the highest quality. Nine out of ten residents have reliable electricity available at the flick of a switch. 91% benefit from top-level sanitation services and the coverage of regular refuse removal is growing – already reaching more than 90% of all households. The City continues to build on the legacy of success that characterised the first decade of democratic local governance.
The quality of infrastructure continues to attract new business and investment to Johannesburg. New roads are being constructed; parks and green spaces spring up across the city; the public transport network is spreading outwards, connecting communities and expanding access to commercial and leisure opportunities. Children under the age of 12 months in the city have been immunised against preventable diseases, and dedicated health services have dramatically improved the cure rates for TB. A well-designed and responsive network provides vital social support to communities, looking after the needs of the elderly, the disabled, the youth and the marginalised sectors of society. The quality of infrastructure continues to attract new business and investment to Johannesburg. This is Johannesburg, the world class African City.
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The theatre brought the celebration of arts and culture closer to the people and created so many jobs...
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Soweto Theatre Jabulani
Significant Achievements The City of Johannesburg has made significant achievements on its financial position and service delivery and continues to build on a solid foundation. The City’s finances are stable, capital expenditure is at 89% and it is improving and the City has R5 billion net surplus. Rating agencies, Fitch and Moody’s retained their rating of Johannesburg during 2011/12 financial year. 2011/12 was a year of achievements for Johannesburg despite the impact of the global financial downturn. The financial downturn also affected Joburg customers’ ability to pay their bills.
These are some of the achievements the City has made: • Following an extensive engagement with experts, academics and communities the City launched the Growth and Development Strategy (Joburg 2040) in October 2011. • The City embarked on a comprehensive and thorough redesign of its institutional arrangements to meet the demands of a modern and growing city and to ensure the seamless implementation of the Joburg 2040. • The City upgraded more than 9km of water and sewer networks in Fourways, Orange Farm and Alexandra; repaired more than 6 000 water meters; maintained 96% of public lighting; patched more than 18 000 potholes; cleaned more than 100km of storm water pipes; cleaned and repaired Dube, Diepkloof and Meadowlands hostels.
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Inner city clean up Roadshow
Progress was made in the development of a social housing complex – the O‘Reilly Development – in City-owned land parcels in Berea. • The Joburg Market is one of the biggest fresh produce markets in the world in terms of volumes traded. Its annual turnover is about R2.8 billion with about 40 000 people visiting the market on a busy day. • The City facilitated the development of a retail node in the Deep South. Engagements were undertaken with the National Treasury to access the Neighbourhood Development Partnership Grant to establish an Automobile Park in Alexandra as well as the Industrial Park in Ivory Park, which are expected to yield fruit in the 2012/13 financial year. • The City successfully rolled out 750km of broadband optic fibre. When complete it will help to bridge the digital divide between rich and poor and lower the cost of doing business in Johannesburg through the provision of world-class IT services. This is in line with our Joburg 2040 Strategy goal to realise a smart city. • Progress was made in the development of a social housing complex – the O‘Reilly Development – in City-owned land parcels in Berea. The development plan was approved and the process to construct 48 social housing units will soon commence.
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Rea Vaya BRT transported an average of 42 000 passengers per day, exceeding the target of 40 000. • The provision of waste services concentrated on cleanliness levels and illegal dumping. This was carried out by Pikitup through street sweeping, the reintroduction of five days a week cleaning at 119 informal settlements, by-law enforcement and awareness campaigns. All households in the City, in formal and informal settlements, now have access to the basic weekly refuse removal service. • Rea Vaya BRT transported an average of 42 000 passengers per day, exceeding the target of 40 000. In 2012 the bus occupancy rates during peak hours reached 95%. • More than R628 million worth of investment was attracted into the inner city through the Urban Development Zone tax incentives. • More than 3.2 million patients walked through the doors of the 80 primary health care facilities in Johannesburg in 2011/12 to receive free diagnosis, treatment, counselling and care from the City’s trained clinicians and highly qualified nursing staff.
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BRT Station
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Nelson Mandela Bridge
Future Plans
The identified Top 10 priorities will define the City’s developmental agenda over the next five years. The priorities are: • • • • • • • • • •
Financial sustainability and resilience Agriculture and food security Sustainable human settlements SMMEs and entrepreneurial support Engaged active citizenry Resource sustainability Smart city Investment attraction, retention and expansion Green economy Safer city
These priorities will ensure a safe, sustainable future for Johannesburg, meet the pressing social needs of its residents and put in place modern, sophisticated infrastructure that can attract, retain and expand economic investments. The City intends investing in various infrastructure projects which will have short- and long-term benefits for residents.
Financial Sustainability and Resilience The City is building on strong legacy of quality financial management and ensuring the robust health of Johannesburg’s finances during the global economic turndown. • The City will ensure improved and accurate rates and services billings and continue with its effective management oversight and monitoring of people and processes, value for money via smart and efficient supply chain management procurement and to be a financially stable City with healthy financial reserves. 9
Agriculture and food security: • The City will promote initiatives to make communities more self-sufficient and address the compelling challenges of poverty and income inequality. • The City will incentivise and create an enabling environment for high value food commodities e.g. vegetables, fruit and animal products to be sold locally linking small farmers in their own areas. • The City will get involved in Agribusiness Ventures and Farm Enterprises providing fresh, locally grown food for growing urban population and viable food procurement and distribution systems. • The City will work with large food retailers, distributors and manufactures to create a localised system through which to ensure food security. • In addition the City will embark on a vigorous public awareness programme to promote healthy lifestyles and improve their own health outcomes through exercise and wise lifestyle choices.
Sustainable Human Settlements: • Historical spatial development patterns are inhibiting economic growth and continue to deprive the majority of residents from access to job and growth opportunities. The future requires that public and private investment be directed towards a more sustainable pattern and that the correct choices are made in the areas of urban design, housing developments and public transport. • Johannesburg’s successful introduction of the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit has changed conventional thinking about public transport and now serves as a model for similar initiatives in other urban areas. • The City is planning and will be investing in Transit Oriented Development (TOD). TOD is a mixed-use residential and commercial area designed to maximise among others access to public transport.
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Petrus Molefe Park Dhlamini Soweto
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The benefits of TOD are: • Mixed residential and commercial areas improve accessibility of people and goods, reduce commuting times and costs, and provide safe, affordable and reliable public transport. • Integrated living spaces that enable realisation of a live, work and play environment. • Economic opportunities that enhance and enable both formal and informal economic activities. • Integrated living spaces that provide a range of accommodation options – typologies, affordability levels and tenure options.
SMMEs and Entrepreneurial Support: • The City will address poverty and income inequality through programmes that will encourage entrepreneurship and support the growth of the SMME sector. • Economic sectors which are most likely to attract small and medium enterprises will be identified and the City’s procurement policies will be leveraged to create more opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs.
Engaged Active Citizenry • The City will ensure that its residents take an active role in their communities and are engaged, informed and involved members of their society. This will be achieved through a greater emphasis on ward-based activities in which residents not only get involved in the determination of priorities for development, but are also empowered to hold elected representatives and the City to account for delivery. • At regional level, one-stop walk-in centres will provide residents with access to the entire range of services and information provided by the City and other government departments. • Enlist community-based structures to re-energise the City and develop the interest of shared responsibility and values for the development of the City and neighbourhoods. 12
Public Participation in Region B
Resource Sustainability: • Rapid economic growth in an urban environment invariably places huge demands on finite natural resources most notably water, air quality and land available for waste disposal. The City will introduce measures to protect the environment and manage the demand for services such as water, sanitation, power and waste disposal. • The success of these programmes will, to a large degree, depend on the participation of communities and the City intends to roll out ambitious initiatives in the near future to conserve power and water, switch towards alternative energy resources and encourage separation of waste at source that will lead to higher levels of recycling. • The City will continue its projects of solar water heaters, energy efficiency lighting, and turning waste to energy.
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Smart City: • The future of Johannesburg will be enhanced by its ability to mobilise modern technology in a manner which attracts investments, encourages business growth, improves access to services for all residents and improves the quality of life of communities. • The Johannesburg Broadband Network is already underway to reduce the cost of doing business in the City and to broaden access to economic opportunities for residents. An integrated intelligence centre will provide a much-needed high-tech tool for crime prevention and smart metering will, increasingly, place the power in the hands of residents to manage their own consumption of City services. • The quality of Joburg information, Communication & Technology systems (ICT) and services will support and enhance active citizen involvement and engagement.
Investment attraction, retention and expansion: • The accelerated delivery of modern, quality socio-economic infrastructure will significantly improve Johannesburg’s capacity to attract investment, trade and tourism. The City is already a world-class business destination of choice and dedicated strategies will be introduced to strengthen and expand its unique advantages. • Buy, Sell, Invest and Visit initiatives will profile Johannesburg as a globally competitive region for future growth while investment in infrastructure and tourism facilities will contribute to the expansion of new opportunities.
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Green Economy: • To ensure a sustainable future the City will shift towards investments that promote the responsible use of natural resources and the protection of the environment. • This will be achieved through the development of a green economy framework, the packaging of green projects to attract investments and the implementation of programmes that will stimulate demand and supply for green services and products. • These investments will not only ensure the long-term sustainability of Johannesburg but also open up exciting new opportunities for communities to benefit from job opportunities created by investment in green projects.
Safer City: • The City is committed to create a safe, secure and resilient environment in which communities can grow and prosper. Stepped-up law enforcement will be supported by broader efforts to combat the impact of urban crime, community support for by-laws, improved urban design and the greater utilisation of smart technology. • The Joburg 10 Plus initiative launched in 2012 is intended to bring Metro Police Officers closer to communities, but also to mobilise community involvement in their own safety through their participation in ward committees and Community Policing Forums. Each of these Top 10 priorities will influence the future shape and direction of the City of Johannesburg. Collectively they will transform the City and the lives of its residents and enable Johannesburg to meet its objective to become the world-class African City of the future. All of this will be done within the context of fiscal responsibility and according to the high standards of prudent financial management the City has set itself.
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Soweto Highway
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Nthatisi Modingoane Deputy Director: Communications Tel Fax Cell E-mail
011 407 7354 011 403 3494 082 467 9228 nthatisem@joburg.org.za
www.joburg.org.za
1st Floor A Block Metropolitan Centre 158 Loveday Street Braamfontein
PO Box 1049 Johannesburg South Africa 2000