We have delivered – Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Parks Tau
JOHANNESBURG – Joburg mayor Parks Tau delivers his end of term report and says he is a happy and proud man.
An estimated 10 000 people looking for greener pastures flood into Johannesburg from other provinces and countries every month, and in 24 years the city will have three million new residents.
This was according to Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Parks Tau who spoke at the City’s end of term report on 6 July in Illovo.
“It would not be possible to drive in Johannesburg at that time, cycling or walking would be a mode of choice,” explained Tau.
The mayor said in his term of office the influx of new residents had been taken into account. “People go to cities to be in close proximity for various amenities. Urbanisation should be celebrated.”
Tau took office in 2011 and said in the five-year term of his administration, the City worked together with residents to bring them services they expected. He added that at the end of this term he was a proud and happy man, knowing that he, together with his administration, served the people of Johannesburg exceptionally well.
The mayor didn’t hesitate to attack those who have been criticising his administration and those of his predecessors.
“There are some who just want to pretend that no delivery has happened in the City in the past 21 years while misleading residents that they can miraculously deliver things that they alone claim have not been delivered.”
Tau said this was unfortunate because his administration’s record spoke for itself throughout Johannesburg. Rubbishing allegations from other political parties that there had been no service delivery in the City under his tenure, Tau mentioned that 1 900km of roads have been resurfaced.
Other highlights from Tau’s report included the installation of 1 258 Remote Monitoring Units at priority traffic signal intersections that enable the City to improve the turnaround time in attending to faulty or damaged traffic signals.
He also stated that the City had upgraded 930 traffic signal controllers and upgraded 811 traffic signal intersections to South African Roads Traffic Signs Manual requirements.
Furthermore, Tau said the City had re-cabled 297 traffic signal intersections and installed 192 uninterrupted power supplies at prioritised intersections.
According to the mayor, a substantial number of jobs have also been created. Tau said the City had created 200 000 job opportunities under the Expanded Public Works Programme and further contracted more than 1 100 co-operatives and other community-based companies under Jozi@Work.
Tau said the City had supported up to 24 000 small businesses through their Small Medium and Micro Enterprise Hub network since 2011.
