What You Need to Know
In preparation for the upcoming G20 Summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched a significant cleanup campaign in Johannesburg. This initiative aims to enhance the city’s image after years of administrative decline, with improvements in infrastructure and public services to welcome international delegates.
Africa. Ahead of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched a wide-ranging campaign to rehabilitate the city, aiming to present a bright image to international delegations after years of administrative and service decline.
During his participation in the cleanup campaign, Ramaphosa stated, “We want visitors to remember Johannesburg as a beautiful and clean city, a city looking towards the future, not just a place to discuss core issues.”
According to a report by journalist Karen du Plessis, the city has seen significant improvements in infrastructure since November, with potholes repaired, traffic signals restored, and main roads beautified for the visiting delegations, a scene not witnessed since the city hosted the World Cup in 2010.
However, this transformation comes after years of mismanagement, with ten mayors having served since 2016 amid party conflicts between the African National Congress and intermittent coalitions led by the Democratic Alliance.
This has resulted in a decline in services, frequent power and water outages, and an influx of residents from rural areas and neighboring provinces.
Ramaphosa intervened personally after noticing the city’s deterioration, holding meetings with local authorities and business leaders, and urging Mayor Dada Morero to form an informal emergency team led by prominent politician and media figure Sonuki Zikalala to address chronic issues, such as a seven-year sewage leak that remained unrepaired.
Although the team lacks constitutional legitimacy, it has begun pressuring officials to resolve crises, raising concerns among opposition parties that refused to cooperate and preferred to work through official channels.
In the absence of coordination, Ramaphosa resorted to surprise nighttime tours to inspect neighborhoods himself, raising concerns among his security detail and threatening to move the summit to another city if conditions did not improve.
In response, Cape Town offered to host the summit, which the ANC viewed as an acknowledgment of failure, especially since the city has been managed by the opposition party since 2006.
Amid a severe financial crisis, the auditor general’s report revealed illegal spending and waste exceeding 23.6 billion rand (approximately $1.38 billion), more than a quarter of the city’s annual budget, prompting residents and private businesses to intervene themselves.
One organizer stated, “We are all fighting for a piece of Johannesburg’s pie,” referring to the necessity for residents to bear maintenance costs themselves, amid a growing sentiment that they must rely on themselves to maintain a minimum level of services.
Johannesburg has faced significant challenges in governance and service delivery over the past several years, with ten mayors since 2016 amid ongoing political conflicts. The city has struggled with frequent power and water outages, leading to a decline in living conditions and prompting residents to take action to address these issues. Ramaphosa’s recent efforts to rehabilitate the city come as a response to these longstanding problems, aiming to restore public confidence and improve the urban environment ahead of a major international event.
