Joburg 'struggles to live up to world-class city aspirations'

As City of Joburg mayor Dada Morero this week reflected on challenges and resilience in his year-end appraisal of the metro's performance, experts yesterday said Joburg has struggled to live up to its aspirations of being a world-class city.

- Brian Sokutu

At the core of challenges faced by Johannesburg is its failure to address its financials, water security and decaying infrastructure.

In his 2024 assessment of the city's performance, Morero said the city was marked by "challenges and resilience" - conceded that pressing issues included the ongoing strain on infrastructure, especially water systems, "which has resulted in significant service interruptions in various parts of the city".

"This has tested our collective patience and resolve, but it has also reinforced the urgency of addressing these challenges head-on," he said.

"I want to assure you that the city is fully committed to finding long-term, sustainable solutions to improve service delivery and ensure the reliability of our city's infrastructure."

Morero said city interventions to challenges, included: