The Quick Interview | Fixing Joburg’s collapsing infrastructure

In March, President Cyril Ramaphosa launched a high-level intervention to address Joburg’s collapsing infrastructure and service delivery crisis.

He said the working group would bring in all levels of government and the expertise of stakeholders to accelerate service delivery. Joburg mayor Dada Morero’s spokesperson Chris Vondo talks to Sowetan about the intervention.

Sowetan: What has the city done to improve service delivery since Ramaphosa’s visit last month? 

Vondo: In the past two months, the city has implemented intensified urban management campaigns and by-law enforcement operations across key hotspots. City Power has resolved 218 maintenance-related issues and repaired 77 non-functional streetlights, thereby improving public safety and visibility in several wards. 

Johannesburg Roads Agency has cleared 348 blocked kerb inlets, patched 218m² of damaged road surfaces, repaired 94 potholes, and completed 754.1m² of road reinstatement work. Pikitup has cleared 63 illegal dumping sites, contributing to cleaner and safer public spaces.

Johannesburg Water has responded to 284 reported sewer blockages and 439 water-related service issues. Additionally, 79 backfilling and paving operations have been completed to restore road and pavement conditions post-maintenance.

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo has responded to 87 grass-cutting requests and carried out 25 tree pruning activities, contributing to public space maintenance and reducing urban fire risks. 

Sowetan: What are the problems the city has identified that it has been unable to deal with on its own? 

Vondo: The city has identified a number of deeply rooted structural and capacity-related challenges that have hindered sustainable service delivery, particularly in the inner city. These include the proliferation of hijacked buildings and illegal occupations.

A lack of capacity in law enforcement, especially with regard to managing building contraventions and maintaining public order and challenges related to illegal immigration and the absence of proper documentation among residents, which has contributed to unmanaged urbanisation. These are complex issues that require multi-sphere coordination, particularly between local, provincial, and national government.

Sowetan: What preparatory meetings has the mayor had since the announcement of the working group? 

Vondo: The executive mayor in his engagement has issued the directive that the team develop accelerated service delivery indicators and enhanced revenue collection drives. The mayor has also arranged service delivery blitzes and drives throughout the city.

This coordination has necessitated a need for an establishment of the city’s War Room that monitors the performance of the departments and entities.  

Sowetan: What are the time frames that have been set for the team to arrive in the city?

Vondo: The team is expected to commence formal operations shortly, with the first set of deliverables due within the next three months. The intervention has been structured as a 24-month support programme, with clearly defined milestones and reporting intervals.

It is designed to provide sustained, hands-on assistance to the city while enabling the institutional strengthening required for long-term resilience and improved service delivery.

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