Note to Editors: These remarks were delivered by ActionSA National Chairperson, Michael Beaumont at the 10th Event of the ‘Mashaba Legacy Tour.’
Dumelang, Molweni, Sanibonani, Goeie More, Good Morning;
Thank you for joining me in Soweto today, as we discuss where our city is headed.
It’s clear to everyone that Johannesburg is falling apart. Mayors from the ANC, DA, and micro-parties like Al-Jamah have failed to stop the collapse of service delivery, infrastructure, and the rule of law. Their indecisive leadership has only accelerated the collapse.
There is one mayor, however, who put an end to the decay and started turning Johannesburg around.
That mayor was Herman Mashaba.
He was the only mayor with a record of change and real delivery. ActionSA continues the Mashaba Legacy Tour to remind residents that they were once led by a credible and capable leader, and that they can have that type of leadership in the mayor’s office again.
When you step into a voting booth this year, you don’t have to choose between a failed ANC mayor or a candidate who just moved to Joburg.
Herman Mashaba fixed Johannesburg, and ActionSA can fix it again.
Today, I want to discuss how Herman Mashaba was the only mayor who won the war on potholes.
Mashaba inherited road infrastructure that would make most mayors regret taking the job. Johannesburg had 4000km of broken roads and 700 crumbling bridges, all arising from a city transport infrastructure backlog of R18 billion. But Mashaba was not most mayors, and so he wasted no time in rolling up his sleeves and getting to work.
His first action was to divert money wasted by the previous government on lavish travel, newspaper delivery, vanity projects and more, and to redirect it to the city’s infrastructure needs. In 2016/17, R88 million was reallocated towards JRA to begin the work of clearing the pothole repairs backlog. Tens of millions were also allocated to rehabilitating roads such as the M2 East and Main Reef Roads.
Mashaba had the decisive initiative his predecessors couldn’t or wouldn’t take, and his efforts led to concrete results.
In just 3 years, 938 lane kilometres of road were repaired, and 88km of gravel roads in informal settlements were upgraded to surfaced roads. In the same span of time, 902 bridges were also maintained.
In 2019, Jetpatcher systems were acquired to accelerate the speed of pothole repairs. In February of 2019 alone, the Jetpatcher system was used to repair over 2700 potholes, or nearly 200 potholes a day.
A further crucial element to road infrastructure – traffic lights – also saw improvements. Thanks to the introduction of a “No Joint Policy”, 182 intersections were re-cabled. This initiative saw a 72% decrease in faults at re-cabled intersections. When Mashaba left office, there was a 20% reduction in traffic signal downtime relating to technical faults.
The contrast could not be clearer. In the new Johannesburg, streets like Lillian Ngoyi take two years to repair and run over budget. In Mashaba’s Johannesburg, infrastructure backlogs are cleared and the roads improve.
Herman Mashaba’s record stretches beyond his successful war on Johannesburg’s potholes. 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.
- 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 these achievements more remarkable is that they arose from a complicated 7-way minority coalition. Mashaba closely consulted his coalition partners, and together they delivered results. The leadership Mashaba displayed 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 continue highlighting these achievements, because Johannesburg residents need hope. They need to know that their city was once on the right path not too long ago, and that it can be placed on that path again.
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. This year, residents can make the decision to sweep the corrupt, inept, and self-interested out of office – and install a leader who will deliver.
Thank you.
Mashaba Legacy Tour: Only Herman Mashaba Won the War on Joburg’s Potholes
Note to Editors: These remarks were delivered by ActionSA National Chairperson, Michael Beaumont at the 10th Event of the ‘Mashaba Legacy Tour.’
Dumelang, Molweni, Sanibonani, Goeie More, Good Morning;
Thank you for joining me in Soweto today, as we discuss where our city is headed.
It’s clear to everyone that Johannesburg is falling apart. Mayors from the ANC, DA, and micro-parties like Al-Jamah have failed to stop the collapse of service delivery, infrastructure, and the rule of law. Their indecisive leadership has only accelerated the collapse.
There is one mayor, however, who put an end to the decay and started turning Johannesburg around.
That mayor was Herman Mashaba.
He was the only mayor with a record of change and real delivery. ActionSA continues the Mashaba Legacy Tour to remind residents that they were once led by a credible and capable leader, and that they can have that type of leadership in the mayor’s office again.
When you step into a voting booth this year, you don’t have to choose between a failed ANC mayor or a candidate who just moved to Joburg.
Herman Mashaba fixed Johannesburg, and ActionSA can fix it again.
Today, I want to discuss how Herman Mashaba was the only mayor who won the war on potholes.
Mashaba inherited road infrastructure that would make most mayors regret taking the job. Johannesburg had 4000km of broken roads and 700 crumbling bridges, all arising from a city transport infrastructure backlog of R18 billion. But Mashaba was not most mayors, and so he wasted no time in rolling up his sleeves and getting to work.
His first action was to divert money wasted by the previous government on lavish travel, newspaper delivery, vanity projects and more, and to redirect it to the city’s infrastructure needs. In 2016/17, R88 million was reallocated towards JRA to begin the work of clearing the pothole repairs backlog. Tens of millions were also allocated to rehabilitating roads such as the M2 East and Main Reef Roads.
Mashaba had the decisive initiative his predecessors couldn’t or wouldn’t take, and his efforts led to concrete results.
In just 3 years, 938 lane kilometres of road were repaired, and 88km of gravel roads in informal settlements were upgraded to surfaced roads. In the same span of time, 902 bridges were also maintained.
In 2019, Jetpatcher systems were acquired to accelerate the speed of pothole repairs. In February of 2019 alone, the Jetpatcher system was used to repair over 2700 potholes, or nearly 200 potholes a day.
A further crucial element to road infrastructure – traffic lights – also saw improvements. Thanks to the introduction of a “No Joint Policy”, 182 intersections were re-cabled. This initiative saw a 72% decrease in faults at re-cabled intersections. When Mashaba left office, there was a 20% reduction in traffic signal downtime relating to technical faults.
The contrast could not be clearer. In the new Johannesburg, streets like Lillian Ngoyi take two years to repair and run over budget. In Mashaba’s Johannesburg, infrastructure backlogs are cleared and the roads improve.
Herman Mashaba’s record stretches beyond his successful war on Johannesburg’s potholes. The following stands as just some highlights of what Herman Mashaba was able to achieve:
What makes these achievements more remarkable is that they arose from a complicated 7-way minority coalition. Mashaba closely consulted his coalition partners, and together they delivered results. The leadership Mashaba displayed 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 continue highlighting these achievements, because Johannesburg residents need hope. They need to know that their city was once on the right path not too long ago, and that it can be placed on that path again.
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. This year, residents can make the decision to sweep the corrupt, inept, and self-interested out of office – and install a leader who will deliver.
Thank you.