The resilient people of Joburg deserve a new government

Johannesburg is a wonderful city in so many ways, but its residents, businesses, cultural institutions and even its nightlife have been subjected to appalling neglect by those who govern it.

- By Ferial Haffajee

There's no hustle like Joburg hustle. We may not have regular electricity, water, a functioning road network or even streetlights, but that doesn't stop the city from growing.

And the people! Don't even get me started on the level of style in this city, where each country on our continent has a community. It's just lovely. But is it “a world-class African city” as the city government continues to call itself? Not so much.

To make it all it can be, this city of great people needs a different way of being governed. There's money. With a budget of R83-billion a year, we should expect more. It's bigger than the national budgets of many African nations and in the same league as much larger cities like Lagos and Cairo.

In his State of the City Address on Wednesday, 7 May, mayor Dada Morero painted a picture of how much he's doing. Last year, then mayor Kabelo Gwamanda (remember him?) promised many things. Every year since 2021, the address has been delivered by a different mayor as coalition government political instability rocks Joburg.

There has been some progress, but this is because of the city's people rather than its government. Civil society has organised itself so well into organisations, such as the Johannesburg Water Crisis Action Group and WaterCAN, that improvements in water provision have been made as people have insisted on them.