City Manager reassures investors over reintegration
27 March 2017
Johannesburg City Manager Dr Ndivhoniswani Lukhwareni has moved to assure investors and other stakeholders that the decision to re-absorb municipal-owned entities (MOEs) and decentralise service delivery into the regions would not have a detrimental effect on the running of the City.
“I can assure you that not much changes,” Dr Lukhwareni said in his strategic and basic services overview during an investor roadshow at the Hyatt Hotel in Rosebank on Friday March 24.
“[In fact, the move will result in the] consolidation of staff and better control of functions.”
Dr Lukhwareni also said the coalition government had settled in well and that the City was still on track to achieve the 5% economic growth target by the end of the current term in 2021.
In his review, Dr Lukhwareni highlighted achievements by MOEs during the 2015-2016 financial year, particularly in energy, water and refuse and waste management, as well as in transport and housing.
On energy management, City Power, the City’s electricity utility, reported that it electrified 5 428 more households against a target of 2 000. It also installed 3 160 public lighting systems and 10 160 smart meters in several areas, including Morningside, Sandton, Lawley, Thembelihle and Blue Hills.
“[The installation of smart meters] is the right way forward to ensure revenues are received on time and further enables the City to electronically intervene where necessary,” he said.
Other achievements made by City Power included the replacement of bulk infrastructure and intensification of projects aimed at improving the security of supply. About 14 974 ripple relays and 1 118 solar water heaters were also rolled out.
Johannesburg Water replaced 140km of old pipes, 123% above the yearly target. It also increased the number of households with access to basic water by 3 038. Households with access to basic sanitation were increased by 2 833.
The entity’s compliance with water quality standard on Ecoli (SANS 241) was at 99%, as it has been in previous years.
Pikitup collected and disposed of 1.5 million tons of domestic waste generated by the City’s 4.7 million residents. The total waste diverted from landfill sites has also seen an increase year on year, from 81 000 tons to 170 501 tons.
“More needs to be done [on the diversion to landfill sites], starting with more households separating at source. It’s a win-win situation and we must all play our part,” Dr Lukhwareni said.
Pikitup saw an 86% growth in the number of houses serviced, with 831 352 formal households enjoying waste collection. The entity also provides waste management services to 164 informal settlements comprising 183 895 homes.
In a bid to increase the number of people using public transport, the City invested in 175 new buses for Metrobus. About 150 are Euro V buses and the rest are Euro III buses that can be converted to compressed natural gas.
Johannesburg Roads Agency upgraded over 26km of gravel roads, maintained 481 lane kilometres, tarred 13 000km and resurfaced 587 lane kilometres. It also took 180 storms water measures, upgraded seven systems and maintained a further 36 431.
Social housing company JOSHCO achieved 98% occupancy rate across the 6 850 units in its portfolio. Dr Lukhwareni said going forward social housing would play a bigger role in “ridding the inner city of crime and grime”.