JOHANNESBURG - ActionSA’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate, Herman Mashaba, says he’s ready to pick up where he left off governing the City of Gold.
Mashaba delivered his own State of the City Address.
He’s promised to focus on fixing the city’s finances and crumbling infrastructure.
In an apparent swipe at his rival for the Joburg mayor's seat, Helen Zille, Mashaba says his campaign won’t be about "swimming in potholes."
He said this coming weekend, he will announcing a team of candidate MMC’s who will work alongside him.
READ | Herman Mashaba named ActionSA Joburg Mayoral candidate
With crumbling infrastructure frustrating residents, Mashaba admits he failed to tackle the problem effectively during his last term as mayor.
"You can’t fix a city in 3 years or in 5 years," he said.
"I took the city of Johannesburg in confidence during my hundred days on 1 December 2016 that I was sitting at the time with R160 billion of infrastructure backlog, but the city for infrastructure only had R8 billion. You can imagine you only have R8 billion, with R170 billion back log. Right now I can tell residents of Johannesburg, if I do the study, which I’ll do when I take over, I’m going to be sitting with over R200 billion. So I’m not going to lie to residents that I’m going to fix everything overnight.”
In a jab at his rival Zille, Mashaba said his campaign won't rely on empty promises or pothole rhetoric, but on a credible plan.
Report by Aviwe Mtila