G20 preparations: Clean-up efforts amid safety concerns

JOHANNESBURG'S G20 Preparations, cleaning up the City while safety concerns persist. Calls for stronger resourcing of Metro Police, technology-driven solutions, and genuine partnerships between SAPS and Metro Police. I THABO MAKWAKWA

- THABO MAKWAKWA

AS THE City of Johannesburg accelerates cleanup efforts in preparation for the highly anticipated G20 leaders' summit scheduled for November, residents remain wary about persistent safety issues in the city, famously known as the "City of Gold.

An Independent Online (IOL) city preparedness assessment on Tuesday highlighted noticeable improvements in some of Johannesburg's notorious crime hotspots, including the Hillbrow area.

Streets continue to be cleared of litter, and potholes are fixed in some areas to improve the city's appearance for international visitors.

However, the recent cleanup follows months of unrelenting media scrutiny exposing a city in decay, three decades after the end of apartheid.

President Cyril Ramaphosa launched a sharp rebuke earlier in March this year aimed at Johannesburg's municipal leadership for allowing infrastructure and public services to collapse.

"The city must be fixed, and quickly" Ramaphosa insisted, emphasising the importance of making Johannesburg safe and presentable for the summit.

Despite visible progress in Hillbrow's cleanliness, many residents voiced concerns about the area's safety and social issues.

Adam Ndlovu, a street vendor, described parts of the district as dangerous,