No potholes, no dysfunctional traffic signals: Morero prioritises ‘G20 routes’

Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero has announced plans to prioritise routes the Group of 20 (G20) representatives will use during their stay in South Africa.

This comes as Joburg prepares to host the G20 summit when leaders from the world's 20 largest economies will convene to discuss pressing global economic issues.

During the launch of the Urban 20 (U20) summit, a global initiative uniting city mayors from G20 countries, Morero said the city would tackle potholes and faulty traffic lights along the designated routes.

“We are doing our best. We’ve prioritised certain routes within Johannesburg which are G20 routes to ensure we make them the standard they should be: no potholes, no traffic signals that aren’t working. We’re focusing on that,” he said.

His announcement sparked criticism, with some accusing the mayor of addressing infrastructure issues for the sake of the G20 summit.

In an interview with the SABC, Morero said restructuring efforts should ultimately benefit all Johannesburg residents, not only visiting leaders.

“Whatever restructuring we do should be a benefit to residents of Joburg and municipalities to ensure municipalities survive, but in that survival we should take into account the challenges of our residents.”

On Monday the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane launched the U20 summit, aimed at bringing together city mayors to shape discussions and drive urban agendas ahead of the G20 summit.

“This important summit serves as a strategic moment to elevate the voices of cities, particularly those in Africa, as key drivers of global progress and economic resilience. This is also an important summit in the history of the multilateralism agenda for local government.

“It will provide a powerful platform for us to showcase our leadership in urban governance, climate resilience and sustainable development, while also fostering meaningful partnerships with cities and global institutions.

“Our objective is to shape the urban agenda for the G20, ensuring cities are recognised as critical players in solving global challenges.”

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