DA leader and the party's mayoral candidate for the City of Joburg, Helen Zille, has committed herself to getting rid of corruption and cadre deployment that has crippled the finances of Joburg.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
Local government expert Professor Purshottama Sivanarain Reddy has cast doubt on the feasibility of Helen Zille's ambitious promise to stabilise the City of Joburg's struggling finances within 100 days of her potential mayoral appointment.
This comes as the DA federal leader made a bold commitment to restore the city's financial stability within her first 100 days in office, during Tuesday's campaign event, where she engaged with academic expert Professor Morris Mthombeni from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).
The former mayor of Cape Town articulated her vision for Johannesburg, describing her strategy as focused on rooting out corruption by empowering "dedicated and professionally trained civil servants", rather than relying on cadre deployment.
Should she be elected to lead the City of Gold, Zille told Mthombeni that her team would not be taking any leave days in December, as this time would be crucial to steering the Joburg ship towards a better financial standing.
"The first 100 days, should I become mayor, will not be spent fixing water systems. We are not going to be dealing with the crisis of Eskom. The most critical thing is to try to stabilise Joburg's finances. The finances are in such a dire state that immediate action is required," Zille asserted.
She pointed to the dire fiscal state of the city, highlighted by financial assessments from the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, leading to the establishment of a special task team by the National Treasury to address the financial chaos plaguing Johannesburg.
"We welcome the special task team because what the minister has said is that this is unaffordable. You can't even fund your budget, now you want to give away R10 billion. I can understand from the workers' perspective. But this was done so badly, because this is a historic battle and pay parity dating back 30 years ago, after the ANC has run the city to the ground."
Reacting to Zille's ambitious promise, Professor Reddy said: "The proposal to stabilise the finances of the Johannesburg City Council within three months is far from being realistic. It is an impossible task for that time period.
"It certainly cannot be done in three months. One has to go in as an executive municipal functionary, familiarise oneself with the internal culture, environment, and modus operandi. One has to identify the challenges and possible solutions."
Reddy further pointed out that any new mayor would need to familiarise themselves with the residents and other stakeholders.
"It could take up to two years to stabilise finances of the COJ. There are certain issues that need to be factored in namely: the issue of revenue collection, and more importantly non-payment, as well as infrastructural failings and deficits which have to be addressed as a matter of urgency."
During her conversation with Mthombeni, in a pointed verbal clash, Zille did not shy away from criticising former Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba, who governed as DA mayor from 2016 to 2019, accusing him of selling the DA’s integrity to the EFF.
Zille vehemently denounced Mashaba's tenure, claiming it was marred by poor leadership choices that ultimately led to his downfall.
"It was the ANC that was to put a motion of no confidence. I had nothing to do with all of this between 2016 and 2019. Shortly before that stage, I was elected as the chairperson of the Federal Council. A lot of Joburg councillors came to me and said: 'This is the kind of mayor Mashaba is. He is selling the DA to Julius Malema, one decision at a time'," she stated.
In an interview this week, Mashaba questioned Zille's journalism and activist background, accusing her of being a plant forced down on South Africans through the exposé on the death of Steve Biko.
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