• Slow economic growth( a weak Rand, income inequality, and unemployment etc.)
• Poor service delivery( slow response times, service delivery breakdowns, inadequate service delivery culture)
• Poverty and inequality( income inequality, food insecurity, overpopulation in poorer communities)
• Environmental decay( climate change, scarcity of natural resources, lack of landfill sites for garbage)
• Corruption( diverting money away from service delivery)
• Inadequate police visibility( due to limited powers and resources)
• Social disconnect( the need for cohesive and inclusive communities)
• Informal economy( the need to“ engage and include the informal economy and not marginalise it” to reduce dependence on welfare)
Mashaba maintains that to establish an inclusive, modern and prosperous City for all, economic revival of the Inner City is needed:“[ Revitalising our inner city ] is pivotal in our quest to unleash Johannesburg’ s economic potential, and realise our target of a five percent economic growth by 2021,” says Mashaba. His vision includes bringing people and businesses back to the heart of the City, through tackling crime, drugs and pollution, and ultimately curbing the current capital drain to other parts of Johannesburg.
As per the Executive Mayor’ s inaugural State of the City Address( SoCA), the City has developed a 10-point plan for revitalising and uplifting Johannesburg. Mashaba feels the achievement of a minimum 5 % economic growth rate over the next five years is possible if the right infrastructure is stabilised and protected.
The Johannesburg Future City Model paints the vision of a compact, inclusive, connected, resilient, and generative city in the years to come.
On the cards for the CoJ are upgrades of major economic roads( such as the M1 towards the City) and the tarring of roads in previously disadvantaged areas, informal settlements and hostels( to effectively address a lack of services in these areas). Bridges are to be completed and an official housing waiting list is to be developed with the Housing Department. A list of semi-completed housing units is also to be developed, and the delivery of title deeds is to be fast tracked. Revenue collections will also be increased to support infrastructure developments in poorer communities.
Five‘ pillars’ have also been identified to help bring about change.
FIVE PILLARS FOR CHANGE
• PILLAR 1: Grow the economy and create jobs
• PILLAR 2: Enhance quality of life by improving services and taking care of the environment
• PILLAR 3: Advance pro-poor development that provides meaningful redress
• PILLAR 4: Build caring, safe and secure communities
• PILLAR 5: Institute an honest, responsive and productive government
RESOURCES
Cape Town Central City Improvement District, City of Cape Town, City of Johannesburg, City Commentary, eNCA, Education & Training Unit, Enquirer. net, Huffington Post, IOL, Knight Frank, South African Property Review,
Transport for Cape Town, TUHF
18 JUNE 2017 SA Real Estate Investor www. reimag. co. za