Zille promises to fix Johannesburg billing, pipes and substations

Johannesburg’s finances come first, then the billing system, then the pipes and substations. That is the order set out in a broadcast by eNCA (YouTube) in which Zille promised efficient municipal services in the city, describing a four-part plan to rebuild what she called the foundations of Johannesburg.

The first part is money. The plan begins with fixing the city’s finances, cutting waste and repairing the billing system so that essential services can be funded. The commitment as stated is direct: money paid for water should go to water, and money paid for electricity should go to electricity. Beyond that, the broadcast promises replaced pipes, fixed substations and maintained roads.

The second part concerns who runs the city. Zille said the plan is to put what she described as honest and capable people in charge, naming engineers who understand engineering, financial managers who understand finance, and officials who serve the public.

The third is corruption. The broadcast states a pledge to initiate an independent investigation into corruption in the city, with public hearings and published findings. Zille described the intention as Johannesburg needing its own Madlanga moment, a reference to the commission of inquiry that examined state capture.

The fourth part turns to the everyday experience of residents dealing with the municipality. The plan promises that phones will be answered and queries addressed, that disputes will be resolved, and that faults will be tracked until they are fixed.

The broadcast did not set out timelines, budgets or the mechanisms by which the investigation would be constituted. It presented the four commitments as the shape of the rebuild rather than a costed programme.

For residents, the plan’s test is the one the broadcast itself names: whether the money paid for water reaches water, and whether a logged fault is followed until it is closed.