January 27, 2005
By Thomas Thale
THE City of Johannesburg is working closely with national government to find a permanent solution to the billing problems that have dogged the City.
This announcement was made by Johannesburg's executive mayor, Councillor Amos Masondo, in his State of the City Address on Thursday, ushering in the last year of his tenure.
The intervention by national government is part of Project Consolidate "aimed at finding an appropriate solution to billing challenges", the mayor said.
But he maintained the City had made tremendous strides in addressing the queries raised by ratepayers in recent months.
According to Councillor Masondo, between July 2004 and January 2005, query resolution improved by 39,3 percent, from 49 569 to just under 20 000. "This reduction is a result of the significant improvements to our operational business processes."
The mayor also revealed that the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department was working closely with the Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecution Authority on measures to clamp down on reckless driving.
"This co-operation will see more irresponsible drivers being isolated and targeted for civil action by the State," he warned, adding that the licences of habitual transgressors would be withdrawn.
In addition, during 2005 the City will be introducing a more efficient method of handling the three to four-month waiting period for testing learners, under the banner of Operation Fundisa.
The mayor also used the opportunity to announce that the City of Johannesburg is to issue its first Retail Bond to raise more money for upgrading Johannesburg's ageing infrastructure.
The retail bond will offer residents an opportunity to invest in a vehicle that offers a guaranteed return, while the City will be able to raise much needed capital.
The bond, Councillor Masondo said, was part of the City's endeavour to improve the living conditions of its residents through service delivery.
The primary focus of the mayor's speech was on poverty alleviation and service delivery.
Shifting his attention to the recent drownings around Johannesburg, Councillor Masondo announced the City had allocated funds "for a programme that will include the training of additional professional divers. In the near future we will be giving special awards to those individuals, council teams and persons who have put their own lives in danger and gone beyond the call of duty to search for and locate missing persons and recover bodies. We are inspired by their good example".
Rapid response teams dedicated to incidents of fires at informal settlements are to be established in areas such Alexandra, Kya Sands and George Goch, have recorded a high number of incidents so far this year.
Overall, Councillor Masondo painted an optimistic picture of developments in Johannesburg.
He emphasised that since it was reconstituted in 2000, the City of Johannesburg had made tremendous strides, setting up business units, administrative systems and recruiting skilled personnel, many coming from the ranks of previously disadvantaged groups such as women and the disabled.
All these measures had resulted in the City's rating and finances improving markedly. "The City has improved its credit rating from Fitch and an investment grading of BBB+ in 1999 to A- in 2003, which was reaffirmed in 2004," he noted.
Another milestone was the tarring of roads in Soweto, which Councillor Masondo said was on track to be completed by the end of the year.
He said the City's urban renewal programme had made strides and the inner city was now experiencing an economic resurgence and improved confidence from business. Councillor Masondo likened the inner city centre of today to "a massive construction and development site".
The City had delivered 20 000 housing units over the past year and issued 15 000 title deeds, he added.
He pledged to make 2005 a year of delivery and said the City would organise events to mark the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Charter in Kliptown.
As political parties prepare for elections, Councillor Masondo called on them to engage in "robust, frank and open debate but to avoid narrow, shortsighted and self-serving point scoring".
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