Mayor Tau answers your questions

• Q. When is he planning to fix the water pipes? There is too much water running down the streets of Johannesburg while we are encouraged to save water. On Joe Slovo highway right under the bridge next to BP garage there is forever running water. - Nokhanyiso Khanyi Msongelwa

Mayor Tau: Johannesburg Water is currently busy with an approximately 300km pipe replacement project throughout the City of Johannesburg and this will assist with the issue of leaking pipes.

As for the running water at the Joe Slovo highway, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have put out a request for an investigation. The investigation is necessary to determine if the running water is the City’s or ground water.

• Q. Why are they not maintaining old buildings? The old post office (Rissik Street) caught fire years ago and in 2014 is still like that, why? The CBD is dirty and stinks, can’t they do something about it? People are looking for accommodation; can’t they turn some old buildings into affordable flats? - Phemelo Molotsane

Mayor Tau: The City of Johannesburg has introduced a Problem Properties By-law (PPB) to effectively combat the large number of properties that do not comply with existing legislation on health, fire, town planning and building control bylaws.

We have also begun a systematic programme which includes Block-by-Block operations, in an attempt to accelerate regeneration, address service delivery breakdowns and tenant safety and security in these buildings.

With regard to the Old Post Office, the Johannesburg Property Company has procured the services of a specialist in cultural regeneration to determine the cultural use its building could serve. An intensive study is under way to produce a report outlining options, analysing them and recommending a preferred way forward for the optimal use of the building to serve as an infused public space and cultural centre.

• Can the Mayor at least try to hire more people because the CBD is dirty ... Make it clean .. Let it be a gold city yuuu - LeGood Lebza

Mayor Tau: The problem is not shortage of staff but both pedestrian and traffic congestion.

The most problematic areas of the Inner City are areas around the Noord Street Taxi Rank and Joubert Park. However, Pikitup is currently engaging taxi owners and street hawkers with a view of getting them to participate in keeping the areas where they do business clean.

In the meantime, Pikitup has implemented what is called a ‘3 Shift System’ to deal with the matter of keeping congested areas clean during the day, particularly between 08h00 till 20h00 when these areas deteriorate when trading and taxi operations are at a maximum.

• What are your plans regarding load shedding and izinyoka? - Promas Propitious M

Mayor Tau: Load shedding - City Power has a load shedding schedule on its website but it does not implement it until it has been requested by Eskom to do so. Currently there is no threat of load shedding in the City as the electrical grid has normalised. However, City Power is on standby to implement load shedding should Eskom request us to do so. At this point in time there is no plan for load shedding in the City.

Cable theft: This is a serious problem in our City and a source of most street lights not working in communities. Approximately 3000 incidents of cable theft take place on our network per year costing us R11 million in repairing and replacing the cables.

The City is fighting cable theft by having a response vehicle which patrols high risk areas based on theft and vandalism statistics. We also conduct joint operations with SAPS and the metro police on scrap metal dealers from time to time because that is where cable thieves sell stolen cables.

Another intervention is the installation of aerial conductor cables (ABC) across the City.  ABC cables are made of aluminium and it is of no value to cable thieves. We are also replacing lattice-type pylons with mono-pole pylons  as mono-poles are less attractive to cable and metal thieves.

It is difficult to root out cable theft completely without cooperation from communities. Therefore, we encourage residents to be our partners to fight this crime and be on the lookout for suspicious trolley pushers and construction vehicles working on our electrical network, whether marked or unmarked, and call our emergency numbers: 011 490 7911; 011 490 7900; 011 490 7553; or a toll free no. 0800 003 251

• Why can’t the City educate people about not littering. There was a drive when I was at school in the 70s to educate people about not littering. Our city is disgustingly dirty. People throw all sorts of things out of their cars. Maybe some incentives can be put in place to encourage NOT to litter. - Shirley Lacy

Mayor Tau: The Inner City and communities are under-siege from businesses and members of the community who illegally dump their waste or building rubble in open fields, on the side of the road, or in dark alleys.  The City conducts environmental education and awareness campaigns on an ongoing basis and also erects NO DUMPING signs to identified sites plagued by illegal dumping. We encourage residents to work with the City and to take ownership of the environment.

The City has Environmental Health inspectors that assist with daily inspection and responds to complaints; they also issue statutory notices to discourage illegal dumping. Illegal dumping creates health risks and spreads disease.

• What can the citizens do to help improve our city? - Side van Raas

Mayor Tau: Citizens are always urged to respect by-laws and report any infringements happening in their areas. Residents should always report illegal connections, dumping, theft and vandalism of infrastructure, among other contraventions.

The newly launched Jozi@Work programme is another platform created for communities to take ownership of their environment and partner with the City to halt problems associated with by-law contraventions, such as illegal dumping, cable theft and maintenance of City infrastructure.

• What are you going to do about the crime rate that is increasing? - Thulani Biyela

Mayor Tau: The City is rolling out citywide programmes like the Integrated Service Delivery programme, Ward Based Planning and the Joburg 10 Plus where the Joburg Metro Police are concentrating on crime prevention, traffic policing as well as by-law compliance in each ward.

• What does the Mayor think of the new immigration law regarding immigrants and how this will affect Johannesburg. - Kym M Kabeya

Mayor Tau: The City supports laws as enacted at national level.  The implementation of the law would ensure that migration is properly regulated in our City. The immigration law regulates the movement of people, ensures that people abide by the law. Similar laws also apply internationally.

Mike Holmes 

• What is the plan of the city to remove immigrants in our cities? - Lodyious Ramatshekgisa

Mayor Tau: The City does not have any intentions of removing immigrants in the City of Johannesburg. We work with various stakeholders in promoting the integration of migrants. Our role as the City is to build Social Cohesion and communities of peace.  The role of managing immigration lies with the Department of Home Affairs.

• Where is the free Wi-Fi? - Tumi Tlhoaele

Mayor Tau: Free and unlimited Wi-Fi access is already available at the following hotspots along the Rea Vaya BRT route:

- Orlando Community Hall
- Orlando Stadium and Police Station
- Soccer City
- Joburg Theatre
- Park Station
- Noordgesig Taxi Rank
- Fashion Square
- Carlton Centre
- Art Gallery Station
- Constitution Hill
- Park Station.

• Which areas are you still to implement the Rea Vaya system? - William Lamola

Mayor Tau: The construction of the Rea Vaya BRT system has been the most ambitious project ever undertaken by the City of Johannesburg. Since its launch in 2009, the project has been creating vibrant spaces and connecting previously unlinked economic nodes across the city.

In February this year we completed the roll-out of Phase 1B with routes through Cresta, Windsor West, Parktown, Yeoville, and to and from the University of Johannesburg in Soweto, has been added.

The route starts in Noordgesig in Soweto, and travels through Pennyville, New Canada, Highgate, Auckland Park and Braamfontein, to Parktown, Metro Centre and Rissik Street in the CBD.

The route has made it possible for commuters to easily reach key public healthcare centres such as the Rahima Moosa, Helen Joseph and Charlotte Maxeke hospitals, as well as educational institutions such as the University of Johannesburg, Wits University, Milpark College, Parktown Boys' High School and Barnato Park High School.

Feeders run to and from Leaglen, Stormhill, Florida, Cresta, Yeoville and Parktown. There are also additional feeders in Soweto from Pimville and Mapetla. These routes are now linked to the Metro Centre Rea Vaya loop, which travels to the inner city via Braamfontein.

With Phase 1B completed, Rea Vaya's focus has shifted to Phase 1C.  Phase 1C will run from Parktown to Alexandra, then Alexandra to Sandton, with complementary services between the CBD and Ivory Park; and from the CBD to Sunninghill on Oxford/Rivonia roads.

Future plans also include extending the Phase 1C route from Sandton to Randburg by 2018, and possibly extending the trunk route from Soweto Highway to Dobsonville, enabling feeders to service areas such as Braamfisherville.

The Rea Vaya trunk routes from the CBD to Sunninghill via Oxford Road and Ivory Park to Sunninghill will be prioritised after 2018.

The three interchanges will be at Sandton, Alexandra and Westgate, where a number of station modules will be clustered and there will be integration with other modes of transport, including walking and cycling.

• Can we have a statue of Miriam Makeba? Since SAFA is gonna make the statue of Senzo Meyiwa, I mean, Miriam Makeba was a heroine.

Mayor Tau: The enormous contribution of Miriam Makeba has been recognised by the City of Johannesburg, and yes, more can still be done in this regard. An important street running through Newtown and through the Westgate Precinct was re-named Miriam Makeba Road. Miriam Makeba is also among a group of musicians and artists depicted in a mural in Newtown, which the City plans to refurbish. Furthermore, Miriam Makeba and other great South Africans will certainly be considered when opportunities for new public art arise.