Following the #AlexTotalShutdown strike, Herman Mashaba engaged with Alexandra residents to address them regarding their grievances.
City of Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba said the engagement included Ward and Public Representative Coucillors, serving people of Alexandra. Mashaba added that the meeting ensured discussion and that voices of Alexandra people are heard.
“My engagement with Alexandra people took place during the schedule of IDP Public Consultation session. It took engagement about the budget, key service delivery priorities in the area as well as the community telling us what they need from the government. Before 2011 Local Government Elections, ANC promised people of Alexandra 90 000 houses and few that were built got occupied by foreign nationals”, said Mashaba.
Mashaba added that he engaged Human Settlement MEC for many times concerning the matter of houses but there has never been commitment of funding forthcoming. He added that less than three years the multi-party government has a delivery record in Alexandra, which exceeds many more years ANC governance in Alexandra.
“ANC has promised Alexandra community the world but delivered nothing for two decades. It began in 2001 with Alexandra Renewal Project, then the Presidential Priority Project in 2017. It also continued on the eve of 2016 elections. It was ANC Mayor of Johannesburg and the ANC Premier who signed the Alexandra Statement of Intent. They were promising massive development which has never been funded by the National or Provincial Grants”, said Mashaba.
He added that City of Johannesburg made many attempts to receive memorandum and engaged the community leadership to hear community grievances. Mashaba said all of that was not taken into consideration.
“Through engaging the community, this time around we were able to orientate needed engagement around budgets, plans and deliverables needed in the community. The budgets and plans of City of Johannesburg should be responsive to their needs. We will partner with Alexandra to make sure that their needs are addressed better than before”, said Mashaba.
