Cape Town's winning formula

COMMONSENSE: MAYOR OF MOTHER CITY HAS SOME ADVICE FOR FAILING CITY OF JOBURG

- Ciaran Ryan

Even the ANC grudgingly concedes that Cape Town is a city that functions. President Cyril Ramaphosa, in response to the fire that gutted the parliament building in 2022, observed it is "the one city that works".

Those frank words drew angry denunciations from some of his backbenchers, most of whom are ratepayers in DA-run Cape Town - and no doubt happy to reside in “the city that works”, sending their children to private schools.

They may not like what amounts to a brutal admission of ANC governance failures across the country, but the very visible deterioration in Joburg - the city they control through a fragile coalition - will forever be imprinted on their foreheads.

All but the major banks have evacuated the Joburg CBD for Rosebank and Sandton, leaving behind a hive of office blocks converted into low-cost accommodation, retailers, cellphone shops and fast-food outlets.

The Joburg Library reopened in August after being shut five years ago over structural and safety concerns.

The underground explosion that ripped through Joburg CBD’s Lilian Ngoyi Street (formerly Bree Street) in 2023, due to a methane gas buildup, is another metaphor for a city in freefall.

The street reopened last month after the city spent nearly R200 million on repairs that were bogged by delays, funding issues and contractor problems.

Meanwhile Cape Town continues to stack its mantlepiece with awards.