DA candidate for mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba, has outlined his vision for Johannesburg should the political party wrestle it away from the ANC.<\/p>\n
In a column for Business Day<\/a>, the successful businessman, noted that by 2030 the city\u2019s population is set to reach 11.5-million – and currently contributes almost 17% to the country\u2019s GDP.<\/p>\n “If not managed properly with the right planning, rapid urbanisation will overwhelm the city\u2019s ability to provide a quality standard of living,” he said.<\/p>\n He stressed that Johannesburg needs to restore the confidence of its citizens and future investors.<\/p>\n “That\u2019s why I\u2019ve entered politics as the DA\u2019s change candidate who wants to turn Johannesburg around. I\u2019ve felt the loss of hope in Johannesburg at the African National Congress (ANC) administration\u2019s mismanagement, corruption and lack of direction.”<\/p>\n Read: This is what South Africa would look like under the DA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The DA in Joburg<\/strong><\/p>\n Mashaba said that the biggest issue facing the city is a lack of jobs<\/strong>. “Small, black-owned businesses face formidable obstacles breaking into the mainstream economy through restrictive government red tape, patronage networks and lack of access to property, capital and internet connectivity.”<\/p>\n Mashaba said that the DA would remove the red tape<\/strong> linked to business in the city. “In fact, in my first 100 days I will tear up the by-laws that restrict small businesses growth.”<\/p>\n He said that the DA would provide ‘a working broadband<\/strong> network across the city’ to increase\u00a0 global competitiveness.<\/p>\n “Soweto and Alexandra should boast centres of commerce<\/strong> and innovation to rival Sandton and Rosebank. These suburbs should see their residents working in them and contributing to their own micro-economy, rather than spending up to half of their income on transport,” the DA convert said.<\/p>\n “If elected, we will work unceasingly to bolster home ownership<\/strong>, and we will ensure that the poorest are helped first. The DA city will assist home ownership through effective asset management, better maintained rental stock, and title deeds without delay,” Mashaba said.<\/p>\n The mayoral said that one of his first policy innovations would be for the city to establish early-learning daycare centres in every township, where children will receive a meal and basic preschool education.<\/p>\n “I am looking at a city programme to pay unemployed citizens to help clean up our streets, fix basic infrastructure and make this a city we can all be proud of through the city\u2019s Safe Streets and the Jozi Beautiful programmes,” he said.<\/p>\n Mashaba said he would also invest in reversing inner-city decay<\/strong> by reviving the older derelict buildings.<\/p>\n “A DA-led task team has already convened with urban experts and developers to craft a strategy to revive downtown Joburg as a commercial hub, with mixed housing for all incomes, green public spaces, safe streets, fun playgrounds, urban food gardens and a lively arts scene.”<\/p>\n He said that the party will offer investment incentives for private developers providing mixed housing options.<\/p>\n “Crime must be thwarted at every turn, and the combined forces of the Johannesburg metropolitan police department (JMPD), Safe Street officials and private security firms will see this happen,” Mashaba said.<\/p>\n He also said that the city’s CCTV network will be put to proper use.<\/p>\n Corruption<\/strong> will be rooted out in the metro police through a new integrity and internal investigations unit within the JMPD, Mashaba said.<\/p>\n “The future of Johannesburg is at a turning point, and only with a DA administration will the city turn for the better, and truly become a global city to rival all others,” Mashaba said.<\/p>\n Previous elections<\/strong><\/p>\n The City of Joburg was one of the\u00a0hotly-contested municipalities in the 2014 National Elections, where the ANC\u00a0lost almost 10% of the votes to the DA from the 2009 Election.<\/p>\n In 2009, the ANC won 63.15% of the vote versus the DA’s 20.84%. In 2014 that dropped to 53.63% of the vote versus the DA’s 29.76%.<\/p>\n In the 2011 Municipal Elections, the ANC won 58.56% of all votes in the CoJ, versus the DA’s 34.62%<\/p>\n \u2018Why I stopped voting ANC\u2019: Herman Mashaba<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Black like Me founder Herman Mashaba to run for Joburg mayor in 2016<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n DA is losing support under Maimane: poll<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n ANC could lose \u2018several important cities\u2019 in 2016<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on the DA<\/h3>\n