Joburg doesn’t need saving – it needs governing

Eskom’s recent threat to cut electricity to Johannesburg over its massive debt was just the cherry on top of a long list of financial woes the City is facing. Earlier this year, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana told Mayor Dada Morero that the state would cut funding to the City if an illegally signed R10.3-billion wage agreement with Samwu was not scrapped. This was followed by the DA writing to the minister to say the City’s budget was underfunded, and that the party would launch legal action if Godongwana did not intervene.

Take a drive around Joburg and the decay is clear to see. Potholes have taken on a life of their own, traffic lights sit non-functioning, water shortages are an everyday occurrence, and power outages are relentless. You wouldn’t think this is the economic hub of the country.

It’s no surprise that Business Leadership, Business Unity SA and Business for SA have indicated their willingness to step in and assist with conditions. But is this the right thing to do?

Wits School of Governance’s Professor Alex van den Heever explains why he thinks business involvement is not the solution. Read that analysis here.

Independent analyst Dr Mpumelelo Mkhabela reflects on instances where business had to step up in other towns to protect jobs. He argues that ratepayers must also shoulder part of the blame for the current situation Joburg finds itself in. Read Mkhabela’s views here.

We also have a submission from Corruption Watch’s Janine Erasmus, who writes that business involvement must not become a substitute for accountability or an excuse for leaders to escape the consequences of their failures. You can read her comment here.

We end this edition with a revealing but uncomfortable exchange in which MKP’s new spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu leaves more questions than answers. Read that interaction here.

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