The City announced an allocation of R574 million of capital expenditure and R115 million of operational expenditure for the upgrading of 10 informal settlements throughout the City in this financial year.
However, the City plans to ramp up this effort in the following years, with a total of 51 informal settlements to be upgraded over the medium term. Ten will be upgraded in the 2017/18 financial year, 20 in 2018/2019 and 21 informal settlements will be upgraded in the 2019/2020 financial year.
By comparison, the previous ANC administration set itself a target of upgrading just two informal settlements in the 2016/17 financial year.
“We are making a break from the business as usual approach and ensuring that the forgotten people of Johannesburg are placed at the heart of our agenda.”
– Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba
The 51 informal settlements are to receive upgrades to water and sanitation, access roads, street names and electricity.
“Although it is going to take time to turn around the years of neglect, we will prove that we are a truly pro-poor government through our actions.”
– Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba
