Joburg mayor Morero backtracks on patching potholes on G20 routes

Speaking during the launch of the local government leg of the G20 Summit, dubbed U20, on Monday, the mayor said his office would only prioritise infrastructure along the routes that lead to the G20 Summit

“Indeed we are doing our best. We have prioritised certain routes within Johannesburg which are G20 routes to ensure that at least we can make them to be at the standard at which they should be. No potholes or traffic signals that are not working,” he said before saying they are focusing on infrastructure and water issues in the city.

His statement was met with criticism by social media users, with people questioning whether the issues in the city would have been attended to if it wasn’t for the summit. Morero then backtracked during an interview on 702. 

“It’s probably a question of language, but we have said we are focusing on the entire city in terms of infrastructure development to respond to the current challenges,” Morero told Clement Manyathela.

“We are also saying that we need to give attention to the G20 event on its own, which has built up events throughout the year. It means that even in those areas, which are G20, we must ensure that everything is proper, not because we are only focusing on our visitors. We will also make sure that other routes are part of our programme,” he added.

The summit is set to be hosted concurrently with the U20 summit in Johannesburg and Pretoria in November. The U20 agenda will include climate resilience, sustainable financing for cities, economic growth and innovation in urban development and strengthening global advocacy for cities at the G20.

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