Contrary to the oft-quoted saying that “a week is a long time in politics”, newly elected executive mayor of the City of Joburg, Mpho Moerane, doesn't have, in literally a month, enough time to make much of a difference.
Moerane is the fourth mayor to be tasked with running the city since the last local government elections. His immediate predecessor, Jolidee Matongo, tragically died in a car crash about a month ago, having himself just succeeded Geoff Makhubo, who died of Covid-19 complications.
Moerane, like the two late mayors, is an ANC mayor who ascended the throne in a coalition government after former mayor Herman Mashaba, who formed a DA-led government, resigned from the mayorship and the party.
Though forced on two occasions by developments beyond human control, the mayorship has by any measure seen too high a turnover in too short a period of time to lend a sense of stability to the running of the city.
Moerane comes into the hot seat slap bang in the middle of the silly season that comes with an election. On November 1, Joburg will join the rest of the country as residents choose who they prefer to run local governments in their areas. Promises, many of an unattainable nature, are being made left, right and centre as parties and candidates try to win over the electorate, and with that access to power.
Sadly, many a can will be kicked down the road as the main aim now is to amass votes for the party and the individual. Real problems that have afflicted residents will be brought to the fore with a semblance of attention while little in reality is done to solve them.
As reported in this newspaper yesterday, the mayor has put forward two things he thinks deserve his immediate attention: the electricity crisis in Soweto and service delivery at large. These are not fresh issues facing the city.
Moerane said that regarding Soweto he would initiate the takeover of power supply from Eskom to the city utility City Power. He questioned the R7.5bn bandied about as the debt Soweto residents owe Eskom in unpaid bills.
It may well have come with a tinge of politicking with an eye firmly on the sea of votes Soweto brings to the table. But a word of caution: let's not make promises that will seem impossible to meet down the road when eventually something has to be done about the can that was kicked with gay abandon.
Encouragingly, Moerane has spoken of the need to get people to pay for services, including electricity. He mentioned a solution in smart meters that will ensure consumers pay for what they use. We like the sound of that, but as history has proven, the measure will need a buy-in from Soweto residents for it to succeed.
We wish the mayor well in his bid for re-election, as that should buy him time to tackle the matter. That said, may the best man or woman win the mayoral chain.
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