The Executive Mayor, Cllr Thapelo Amad, has vowed to focus on improving the quality of service delivery in Johannesburg by ensuring the Government of Local Unity returns to basics. The Executive Mayor led a multi-disciplinary service delivery blitz known as #MayorOnDuty in the inner-city, Region F on Tuesday, 14 March, focusing on cleaning various areas, cutting grass, filling potholes, fixing traffic lights, repairing water leaks, and by-law enforcement.

​He said his major focus was on growing the economy to create employment and reduce poverty and inequality.

During the walkabout, Mayor Amad acknowledged there are lots of challenges in Region F, but he remains steadfast in his determination to get the basics right.

He said today’s service delivery blitz was aimed at tackling service delivery shortfalls in Region F and that this was just the beginning. The Mayor plans to visit each and every region and ward in the City.

The Hillbrow Recreation Centre was the Mayor’s first stop today, where the building has been illegally occupied since it was used as Temporary Emergency Accommodation (TEA) during the Covid-19 lockdown.

“It has not been reinstated as a recreation centre ever since,” explained the Mayor.

Cllr Amad deployed the Joburg Property Company (JPC), Community Development, Human Settlements, and Social Development to deal with the matter.

He assured residents of Johannesburg that his administration would continue to serve them.

“I am on duty the whole day today attending to issues affecting the daily lives and livelihoods of residents of Joburg,” he said.

A return to basics and a strengthened bylaw enforcement approach are some of the arsenals the Joburg Mayor will deploy in his war against crime and grime in the country’s financial capital.

Mayor Amad emphasised that getting the basics right simply means municipal workers ought to perform what they are paid to do.

The Executive Mayor is on a quest to turn the fortunes of the City of Johannesburg around so it becomes a more inclusive City of the future in which everyone works, lives, and plays.

Mayor Amad said the municipality was working with the other two tiers of government – provincial and national – to get Joburg to become an investment magnet.

By focusing on improving service delivery, the Mayor aims to create an environment in which businesses can thrive and provide employment opportunities for the people of Johannesburg.

The Mayor’s commitment to improving service delivery is a step in the right direction for Johannesburg, and his plans to continue these service delivery blitzes across the City will be welcome news to residents who have been waiting for a tangible solution to the daily issues affecting their lives.

Written by Luyanda Lunika

14/03/2023