JOHANNESBURG - Structures established to prepare for the G20 Summit remain in place, says Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi.
He says all mayors and municipalities across the province were in “overdrive” during preparations for the Leaders’ Summit, with coordination meetings held twice every Tuesday.
Those meetings, he says, will continue beyond the summit “to ensure no one drops the service delivery ball in the province.”
Gauteng residents saw fast-tracked service delivery ahead of the summit, with working traffic lights, repaired street lights, and potholes filled.
Lesufi says no extra money was used to achieve this.
“We used existing budgets and did not ask for additional funds,” he said.
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However, he admitted that not all provincial leaders were “singing from the same hymn sheet,” which caused delays in certain services due to communication breakdowns.
He added that some mayors ignored or boycotted meetings for political reasons, again hindering service delivery.
Lesufi says a single, coordinated command centre is now in place to improve communication among leaders -- a system he hopes will benefit residents in the long run.
The Premier says Gauteng is positioning itself as a premier events destination, as demonstrated during the G20 Summit.
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Johannesburg is already preparing to host the LIV Golf tournament at Steyn City in March.
“The new economy is in events,” he said.
“We are positioning ourselves as a province to elevate our event management capabilities.”
Recent severe weather affected certain services and caused damage in parts of the province.
But Lesufi says significant investment is being directed toward improving service delivery in Johannesburg, with the goal of elevating the city to the standards of global destinations like Paris and Dubai.
He also confirmed that investment has been secured to clean up the Johannesburg CBD.