President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the establishment of the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group (PJWG) in an effort to resolve the “enormous challenges” facing the city.
The President announced the working group at a meeting between the National Executive and the City of Johannesburg Executive Council on Thursday.
The meeting is part of the National Executive’s oversight visit to the province.
“We would like to implement this collaborative approach in the City of Johannesburg and to do it as underpinned by the District Development Model. We are proposing the establishment of Presidential Johannesburg Working Group.
“This would bring in all levels of government and the expertise of our stakeholders to accelerate service delivery, stabilise the city’s finances and operations, and enable economic growth and job creation.
“We are going to work together to rebuild Johannesburg and to take Johannesburg back to its glory days,” the President said.
A similar approach has been applied in KwaZulu-Natal with the 2024 establishment of the eThekwini Presidential Working Group to turnaround the fortunes of Durban and position it as an investment and tourism hub.
The PJWG will have a special focus on rejuvenating the Johannesburg inner city.
“The infrastructure of this city is archaic. It was built in the apartheid days many years ago and needs to be attended to. We will need to refocus on the rejuvenation of the city.
“This historic part of our city… has been allowed to deteriorate for much too long. Efforts must be taken to make it a liveable, thriving and safe space for all citizens. We must work together to ensure the inner city is primed… to attract new investment and jobs. It is possible.
“I thank the Executive Mayor and his team for engaging openly and in a collaborative sprit with the Presidency on this support mechanism. It is in this spirit that we will make real strides to unlock Johannesburg’s role as the engine of growth for South Africa’s economy,” he said.
President Ramaphosa noted that the city is facing an array of challenges.
“Johannesburg today faces enormous challenges, ranging from financial and governance instability to rapidly deteriorating infrastructure. Water and electricity interruptions have become the norm. This has an enormous impact on the quality of life of citizens and the operations of businesses.
“The road infrastructure faces tremendous challenges. These include vandalism of traffic lights, dysfunctional street lights and rapidly deteriorating roads and bridges. These are just some of the challenges that are constraining growth in the country’s economic heartland,” he said.
The President made a clarion call to the meeting to work together to resolve the challenges and improve the quality of life of citizens in the city, which is “special to all of us”.
“Let us double our efforts to build a city that works for all South Africans, a city that celebrates our diversity and embodies the unity espoused in our Constitution.
“When our visitors leave after the G20 Leaders’ Summit, let them leave inspired by what they saw and experienced in Johannesburg.
“For our citizens, let us make them proud once again to call Johannesburg their home,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za
