The days of City of Joburg’s officials resting on their laurels are over. It is about time that the residents of the city of gold are provided with deserving services.
This is the promise of newly elected Executive Mayor Jolidee Matongo after he was sworn in this week on officially replacing Geoff Makhubo, who passed away due to Covid-19-related complications last month.
After taking the oath, Matongo was adamant that all officials and politicians will be forced to serve the people of Joburg, especially the elderly and child-headed homes.
“We already have an approved and funded budget to be supported by a financial recovery plan that is currently being finalised. These are designed to aid the developmental agenda that is set to mitigate the socio-economic devastation by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in the City.
“Therefore, in the coming months to the end of term, there will be clear intolerance of underspending by departments, non-response to service failures and delays, as well as unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure,” he said.
Matongo said all members of the City’s workforce were expected to pull their weight in how we serve the people of Johannesburg.
“It is going to be a time to hold each other accountable – from the cleaner to myself as the Executive Mayor – no one is going to be spared. The days of sitting in offices all day instead of being out on the ground serving communities to the best of our abilities as a local government’s institution are over.
“All hands are needed on deck, and this is also a time to enable the youth and women to lead the call for socio-economic development in the City,” Matongo said.
He said it was time to demonstrate that they were indeed a City where the young lead the call for transformation.
Matongo also said: “Let us not forget about the most vulnerable in our communities. Our elders, child-headed homes, those who go to bed on empty stomachs, the homeless, women and children being subjected to gender-based violence and people who are addicted to substance abuse.
“These are members of the Johannesburg community who need to be prioritised in receiving the City’s support services as offered in our Health and Social Development and Community Development departments.”
He said rooting out corruption in the delivery of municipal services meant the City of Joburg could save and direct more of its resources to serve residents better.
“This starts with having a more sophisticated and efficient information and communications technology system to trace loopholes. Work is already under way in this regard and to resolve the SAP programme concerns.
“The City has already started implementing the Electronic Bill Presentation and Payment Portal, which is designed to improve customer interaction, experience and revenue performance.
“The portal is set to enable the City’s ratepayers to view or download statements, submit meter readings as well as log and monitor queries, among other services,” Matongo promised.
Political Bureau