Note to Editors: These remarks were delivered by ActionSA National Chairperson, Michael Beaumont at the 9th leg of the ‘Mashaba Legacy Tour’ in Brixton.
Dumelang, Molweni, Sanibonani, Goeie More, Good Morning;
Thank you for joining me in Brixton today, to discuss the future of our city.
Johannesburg is in a state of accelerated collapse. Successive ANC, DA, and micro-party mayors are responsible, and none of them can claim any form of good governance. This city was entrusted to them, and they failed to deliver. All of them except for one – Herman Mashaba.
Mashaba’s record speaks for itself.
He was the first and last mayor to bring hope to the residents of Joburg. ActionSA is continuing this Mashaba Legacy Tour to remind residents that they once had an ethical and effective leader at the helm, and that they can have the leadership they deserve once more.
When voters go to the polls at the next Local Government Election, they don’t have to just choose between failed ANC mayors, or mayoral candidates who built a “record” 20 years ago and 1500km away. Herman Mashaba did the job right in Johannesburg, and ActionSA can do it again.
Today, I want to discuss how Herman Mashaba addressed Johannesburg’s water crisis.
When he entered office, Johannesburg’s water system was on the brink of collapse due to ageing infrastructure and chronic under-investment.
His first step was to cut funds which were wasted on advertising, international travel, newspaper deliveries, and catering, and to redirect them to infrastructure needs. Through the Diphetogo program, the percentage of the capital budget spent on transport, water, electricity and housing increased from 58% in 2016/17 to 69% in 2018/19. Capital expenditure on water alone increased from R623 million to nearly a billion rand – a 36% increase.
The stats of what Mashaba was able to achieve with this new budget speaks for itself: 198.6km of water pipes and 125.9km of sewer pipes were replaced in just 3 years.
This investment saw water leaks and bursts come down from 45 000 to 37 000 per annum.
If you needed any more evidence that Mashaba was the last mayor to deliver, consider where Johannesburg and its water infrastructure sits today:
Right now, half of Johannesburg’s water is lost due to leaks. It’s not Johannesburg Water that pays R6 million a day for water losses, it’s the residents who have seen tariffs increase by 200% in the last decade.
The current budget needed to upgrade infrastructure sits at R27 billion. About a quarter of Johannesburg’s reservoirs are in urgent need of repair. The City of Johannesburg has 12,364km of distribution pipes, and yet only 17km of this was replaced in the last financial year.
The new Brixton Water Tower and Reservoir behind me is 10 months behind schedule due to repeated non-payment of contractors.
The contrast could not be clearer. Herman Mashaba reversed Johannesburg’s water crisis, whilst every mayor since has accelerated it.
Herman Mashaba’s record doesn’t just concern Johannesburg’s water infrastructure. The following stands as just some highlights of what Herman Mashaba was able to achieve:
- The highest levels of resident satisfaction (74%) in the history of the city.
- Redirecting R2 billion from luxuries and wastage to service delivery infrastructure.
- Reducing power outages from 6.1 to 5.8 per annum (during peak load shedding).
- Reducing water leaks and bursts from 45 000 to 37 000 per annum.
- Achieving R17 billion in facilitated investment in 2018/19.
- Resurfacing 900km of bad roads (24% of all bad roads in the City).
- Building the largest electricity sub-station in the southern hemisphere within schedule and under budget.
- Extending the operating hours of 26 clinics, saving more than 500 lives with after-hour care.
- Starting 5 city-operated substance abuse facilities, the first in the city’s history.
- Procuring 7 mobile clinics to provide primary healthcare to informal settlements.
- Delivered 7000 RDP homes and 7500 title deeds and 3500 serviced stands.
- An anti-corruption unit that investigated over 6000 cases of corruption totaling more than R35 billion in transactions under investigation and effecting more than 900 arrests.
- Insourcing over 6000 security guards and cleaners and affording these workers the dignity of a proper wage and the city direct management of securing and cleaning its own infrastructure.
What makes this list of achievements even more relevant to the people of Johannesburg is that it arose from a complicated 7-way minority coalition government. This also shows us that coalitions can produce fruits with the kind of stable-headed leadership which Mashaba provided. This is a type of leadership that is less interested in scoring points, and more interested in delivering for residents. The failed coalitions and failed mayors which have come and gone, have shown that Mashaba was the last mayor who put pride and politicking aside in the interest of the people.
ActionSA will be highlighting these and many more achievements that form part of Mashaba’s legacy.
Johannesburg residents do not have to look far to find a leader who has a proven track record of fixing their city. Herman Mashaba did it before, and ActionSA can do it again. Next year, residents can break away from the years of failure they’ve had to endure.
Thank you.
Mashaba Legacy Tour: Only Herman Mashaba Turned The Tide of Johannesburg’s Water Crisis
Note to Editors: These remarks were delivered by ActionSA National Chairperson, Michael Beaumont at the 9th leg of the ‘Mashaba Legacy Tour’ in Brixton.
Dumelang, Molweni, Sanibonani, Goeie More, Good Morning;
Thank you for joining me in Brixton today, to discuss the future of our city.
Johannesburg is in a state of accelerated collapse. Successive ANC, DA, and micro-party mayors are responsible, and none of them can claim any form of good governance. This city was entrusted to them, and they failed to deliver. All of them except for one – Herman Mashaba.
Mashaba’s record speaks for itself.
He was the first and last mayor to bring hope to the residents of Joburg. ActionSA is continuing this Mashaba Legacy Tour to remind residents that they once had an ethical and effective leader at the helm, and that they can have the leadership they deserve once more.
When voters go to the polls at the next Local Government Election, they don’t have to just choose between failed ANC mayors, or mayoral candidates who built a “record” 20 years ago and 1500km away. Herman Mashaba did the job right in Johannesburg, and ActionSA can do it again.
Today, I want to discuss how Herman Mashaba addressed Johannesburg’s water crisis.
When he entered office, Johannesburg’s water system was on the brink of collapse due to ageing infrastructure and chronic under-investment.
His first step was to cut funds which were wasted on advertising, international travel, newspaper deliveries, and catering, and to redirect them to infrastructure needs. Through the Diphetogo program, the percentage of the capital budget spent on transport, water, electricity and housing increased from 58% in 2016/17 to 69% in 2018/19. Capital expenditure on water alone increased from R623 million to nearly a billion rand – a 36% increase.
The stats of what Mashaba was able to achieve with this new budget speaks for itself: 198.6km of water pipes and 125.9km of sewer pipes were replaced in just 3 years.
This investment saw water leaks and bursts come down from 45 000 to 37 000 per annum.
If you needed any more evidence that Mashaba was the last mayor to deliver, consider where Johannesburg and its water infrastructure sits today:
Right now, half of Johannesburg’s water is lost due to leaks. It’s not Johannesburg Water that pays R6 million a day for water losses, it’s the residents who have seen tariffs increase by 200% in the last decade.
The current budget needed to upgrade infrastructure sits at R27 billion. About a quarter of Johannesburg’s reservoirs are in urgent need of repair. The City of Johannesburg has 12,364km of distribution pipes, and yet only 17km of this was replaced in the last financial year.
The new Brixton Water Tower and Reservoir behind me is 10 months behind schedule due to repeated non-payment of contractors.
The contrast could not be clearer. Herman Mashaba reversed Johannesburg’s water crisis, whilst every mayor since has accelerated it.
Herman Mashaba’s record doesn’t just concern Johannesburg’s water infrastructure. The following stands as just some highlights of what Herman Mashaba was able to achieve:
What makes this list of achievements even more relevant to the people of Johannesburg is that it arose from a complicated 7-way minority coalition government. This also shows us that coalitions can produce fruits with the kind of stable-headed leadership which Mashaba provided. This is a type of leadership that is less interested in scoring points, and more interested in delivering for residents. The failed coalitions and failed mayors which have come and gone, have shown that Mashaba was the last mayor who put pride and politicking aside in the interest of the people.
ActionSA will be highlighting these and many more achievements that form part of Mashaba’s legacy.
Johannesburg residents do not have to look far to find a leader who has a proven track record of fixing their city. Herman Mashaba did it before, and ActionSA can do it again. Next year, residents can break away from the years of failure they’ve had to endure.
Thank you.