Failing City Looks For Miracle

Johannesburg is fast crumbling before our very eyes - DA.

- Jarryd Westerdale

For Johannesburg to regain its status as the city of gold, it may need to become the city of miracles. Those returning to the big smoke from holidays across the country or overseas may perhaps make the comparisons to cleaner and more efficient cities.

The city of Joburg's compartmentalised governance model is a double-edged sword, allowing for specialisation but also creating grey areas of responsibility. Adding to the clutter, provincial departments also have a hand in the city's management, creating multiple layers of bureaucracy for any solution to fight through.

A dwindling budget and a lack of infrastructure development are at the heart of Johannesburg's decay, says DA shadow MMC for environment and infrastructure services Nicole van Dyk.

"The city is fast crumbling before our very eyes. It all comes down to little to no investment in the basic services of the city," Van Dyk told The Citizen.

SKID ROW: BUDGET CUTS, SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE ISSUES AMONG ITS MANY PROBLEMS.

The infuriating delays caused by faulty traffic lights will likely greet motorists returning to work early this month.

The Gauteng provincial department of roads and transport (GPDRT) department oversees most of the main roads criss-crossing the city.

It recently initiated a private-public collaboration that will see business and residents' associations "adopt" an intersection to maintain its infrastructural integrity.

The process of finalising the terms and conditions is still underway as a meeting was held in early December to outline the details.