The CBD is dying but do citizens have it in them to call for change Photo BusinessDay
Johannesburg – The once-thriving Johannesburg Central Business District, known as the “City of Gold”, has now earned a far less optimistic title – the ‘City of Despair’. This shift in characterisation resonates with the CBD’s enduring decline, prompting numerous economic stakeholders to make the difficult decision to relocate.
The decline of Johannesburg’s CBD has been a longstanding issue, but recent events, such as gas explosions, fires in Marshalltown, and the prevalence of hijacked buildings, have brought Its deterioration into sharp focus. Infrastructure and public services have struggled to keep up with the city’s growth, resulting in a host of issues, as pointed out by Julius Kleynhans, Executive Manager for Social Innovation at OUTA.
The surge in crime and safety concerns has created a growing sense of peril for both residents and businesses within the CBD. Furthermore, ongoing electricity and water supply problems have emerged as significant risk factors jeopardising the city’s economic development. In response to these challenges, many businesses are making the strategic choice to relocate from the CBD to places like Sandton in order to safeguard their assets and secure long-term sustainability.
Corruption, Political influence and lack of accountability
A fundamental contributor to the decline of the CBD is the neverending corruption and political instability plaguing the city. Since 2021, following Geoffrey Makhubo’s departure from office, the seat of the mayor has seen an unsettling turnover, with eight different mayors taking the helm. Remarkably, Mpho Phalatse assumed the position twice within the span of a year. This frequent change in leadership has resulted in a lack of continuity and effective governance, significantly impacting essential services that struggle to function optimally amidst this uncertainty. This is just one of the many problems that have led to the CBD becoming a shell of its former self.
“The political structures over time have become involved in the business of local government to such an extent where they drive agendas. If you look at a municipality it’s supposed to be run like a business. Officials who are employed in a municipality are employees. They are supposed to fulfil their functions and duties by doing their work. Whenever a mayor changes, the whole city comes to a standstill. How can you run a department if there is a tendency to stop everything when there’s political change? It shows you the influence of political powers within the city and to be honest you get what you vote for.”
For Kleynhans, the only way to rectify this situation is to vote differently and get more organised. Civil societies must actively engage with local government affairs and be ready to enforce accountability among politicians, whether for their actions or their inaction. Ultimately, this is fundamentally a matter of political will, and individuals who lack the necessary commitment must make way for those who are willing to take the reins and lead effectively.
“Every month your municipality must report to the province. They have to report to the Treasury on a quarterly basis with their financials and things like that. It’s not like the national government and provincial government doesn’t know what’s going on. If you follow the root causes of the problems, it’s absolutely a political will issue and the lack of holding individuals accountable. There’s too much influence and the only way it can change is by changing those root causes of the problem.”
Neglected budget and infrastructure
Johannesburg boasts a significant budget, but mismanagement and neglect have led to its deterioration. According to former Mayor Mpho Phalatse, the city needed R300 billion to build new infrastructure — power, water, sanitation — and make repairs. This is due to the numerous backlogs that exist. In the meantime crime has experienced a significant surge. Derelict buildings in the area have fallen prey to criminal syndicates. Law and order ceases to exist.
“The bylaws are clear, the legislation is clear. The JMPD is everywhere. Why is the law not enforced? Why aren’t the impoverished communities and the homeless not being accommodated? There’s been billions of rands allocated to sufficient housing and infrastructure. What is happening to that? I think that’s where the civil society role of oversight needs to step in. We need to start looking at what budgets are allocated, who’s getting the projects, what are the deadline days and we need to start monitoring it ourselves. Sadly but it’s true, we have to start evaluating whether the funds that’s allocated are reasonable. You cannot pay R10 000 for a bottle of water. We need to start making it very uncomfortable for those in power and drive change.”
Those in power have sat comfortably for years as the money has been squandered on frivolous things. Kleynhans does not believe the current government does not have a plan on how to fix things and if civil society does not step in, it may be too late for the damage to be reversed.
Kleynhans has called for the Treasury to start paying off the municipality’s creditors. Instead of the Treasury taking money away from municipalities that didn’t spend it, this should go towards creditors. Although municipalities are supposed to act independently, we have seen where that has got us.
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The path forward: Civic engagement and voting
Our most potent assets are our voices and our right to vote. When wielded effectively, these tools can evoke the necessary change and address our current predicaments. Kleyhan has issued a compelling call to action for all residents of Johannesburg, urging them to actively participate in their local organisations and take on the responsibility of holding local politicians accountable for their actions. In line with this, OUTA has recently introduced Joburg CAN, a call to action network designed to facilitate engagement among community organisations and resident associations. Kleyhan firmly believes that this kind of collective movement is urgently required. Only when politicians experience the pressure and scrutiny of an engaged citizenry will they be motivated to act in the best interests of the community.
With the elections coming up, everyone has to exercise their right to vote. There are those who can pack up today and leave the country if they so wish, but many of us do not have that luxury. Voting is not merely a right but a civic responsibility. Choosing leaders who prioritise the well-being of the city can significantly impact its future.
“The fact is that the government can change next year if everyone exercises their right to vote. Don’t see it as a holiday that you just have off. I’m going to put it bluntly. If you don’t vote next year, you don’t have a reason to complain in the future. If you vote for the current status quo, then that’s what you need to accept and your conscience needs to go with you on that. Next year, everyone must exercise their responsibility and vote. That is probably one of the strongest elements that can pivot South Africa into the right direction. If we don’t do that, I’m afraid to say we’re just going to continue going into this downward spiral.”
