(3 Minutes Read)
The city of about 5 million people had eight mayors since 2019 due to constantly shifting coalitions.
Johannesburg needs R221 billion (USD12 billion) to meet maintenance and overdue upgrades across its collapsing road, power, and water networks.
The city council discussed the shortfall late last month and detailed it in documents. It comes at a time when regular power outages hit large swathes of Johannesburg. Officials leave potholes unattended for months and parts of the city had no water for as long as 11 days in March.
The work pileup highlights significant risks to public safety, economic safety, and the environment if not addressed. The city of about 5 million people has had eight mayors since 2019 due to constantly shifting coalitions. While the African National Congress and Economic Freedom Fighters are the largest parties in the ruling coalition with 119 seats between them, they have installed a mayor from the Al-Jama-ah party, which has just three seats. There are 270 councillors in total.
That’s in contrast to the national government where the ANC, which lost its majority in May elections for the first time in three decades, has allied with the Democratic Alliance, and several other parties to run the country. The EFF is in opposition.
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Last month, Johannesburg’s council imposed above-inflation increases for utilities and rates and forced through an R2.5 billion loan from the Agence Francaise de Developpement despite initial objections from opposition parties. It is also reported that the city has missed its annual target for water infrastructure investment every year since at least 2008 and that its electricity utility.
