There is a lie at the heart of our Johannesburg. We all know it well – Johannesburg is a "World Class African City." One wishes the slogan was true. But as many residents know, the city, particularly when I took office in 2016, was more akin to a world-class slum. The inner-city, formerly the heartbeat Johannesburg, was mired in crime and grim – a hellscape for many residents. It is not an exaggeration to say that in 2016, the city spiralled into deep decline despite the ANC’s spin-doctoring, costing over R300 million. At the time, Johannesburg faced an infrastructure backlog estimated at R170 billion and a housing backlog of over 300 000 units.
The City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Cllr Mpho Moerane, on Wednesday, 06 October 2021, launched the much-anticipated e-Joburg portal that will see residents experience the convenience of accessing municipal customer services online. The Mayor, who launched the portal alongside the project owner, Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance, Cllr Matshidiso Mfikoe, described its launch as a milestone step towards transforming Johannesburg into a Smart City.