The government has denied that Johannesburg’s clean-up efforts are linked to the upcoming G20 summit, insisting the event has merely acted as a “catalyst for service delivery”.
Briefing the media on South Africa’s readiness for the summit, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola urged residents not to be skeptical of the work being done.
“We heard similar skepticism before the 2024 national elections regarding load-shedding. People said we were ending load-shedding because of the election. We are now one year and three months after the elections — there is no load-shedding,” he said.
SERVICE DELIVERY AFTER THE G20 SUMMIT
Lamola said the Gauteng government had used the G20 to “turn the situation around”, adding that “they can only sustain it afterwards”.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the province had not allocated new budgets for service-delivery work ahead of the G20.
“We requested departments to use their current budgets. There was no new money allocated specifically for the G20. We have worked hard to ensure we fix the street lights, traffic lights and fill the potholes,” he said.
Lesufi added that the weekly service-delivery meetings would continue after the summit to maintain momentum.
JOBURG CBD CLEAN-UP
In the Johannesburg city centre, mayor Dada Morero has been leading efforts to restore street lights and remove vendors trading without permits. The mayor has said the clean-up is about rooting out lawlessness in the inner city.
President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed these efforts, saying they would “restore the city to its former glory”.
“A great deal of work is now happening to restore Johannesburg to its former glory. This is not a flash in the pan, it will continue even after the G20,” said Ramaphosa.
The president added that the improvements would benefit the residents and businesses operating in the inner city.
“Cities around the world prepare themselves before major summits, and we are doing the same, not only for the G20 or upcoming elections, but for the people of Johannesburg and the businesses that rely on this city,” Ramaphosa said.
