08-05-2025
What will it take to save Joburg?
JOHANNESBURG - Johannesburg, South Africa's economic hub, is on its knees.
Known as the city of Gold or Jozi, Johannesburg is South Africa's financial capital and home to the richest square mile in Africa.
But most of its areas have fallen into a state of disrepair, a legacy of years of mismanagement in the city of nearly five million people.
Poor road networks, electricity cuts, water outages, crumbling infrastructure and high rates crime, now define Johannesburg.
In March President Cyril President lashed out at the decay, embarrassed when G20 delegates visited earlier this year.
Ramaphosa challenged the province to address governance failures and financial mismanagement that plague the city.
READ | President Ramaphosa calls for improvement in Johannesbur g
eNCA's social media platforms are buzzing with comments from our viewers on what it would take to save the city of gold.
"Combat corruption and good governance, fix infrastructures (potholes on the roads, water & power), political will, enhance public safety, community engagement, and build trust etc immediate steps.
"This includes, audit infrastructures and prioritising repair plans and forming independent anti-corruption task teams that strictly report to the treasury.
"Johannesburg has the talent, history, and potential to rebound, but it needs urgent, coordinated action to avoid total collapse," says Nkosinathi.
A viewer going by the name Equalizer on the other hand believes the whole Joburg Council needs to be fired and a proper audit needs to take place.
"Whoever was involved in underhanded deals needs to account! Get new people for JHB council."
Another user says urgent plans are needed to root out crime in the city and this includes a clear out of abandoned buildings occupied by undocumented migrants,
and installing across the city to curb crime.
These sentiments are similar to those of Shirley van Son on Facebook, who argues that the DA is the solution to the problem, saying they have the better means to save the city.
"Get the DA in there to fix it, you might not like the party but it is the only political party that has the will to fix this country. Johannesburg and Pretoria are slowly turning into slums.'
To date the DA has put a question mark over the future of Joburg Mayor Dada Morero, tabling a motion of no confidence against him and speaker Nobuhle Mthembu.
