![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/jca.png?w=1080&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nRabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za<\/p>\n
13 May 2025<\/p>\n
3-minute read<\/p>\n
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With two years to implement a turnaround strategy for the City of Johannesburg, the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group has been given a list of key issues like service delivery deficits, financial issues and safety concerns affecting the city.<\/p>\n
Following the continuous rotation of mayors in the city which brought about instability to services and administration where there were already low levels of trust, a range of organisations were brought together to get a sense of the visible and invisible deterioration of the city. With a vision for the city at heart, the Johannesburg Crisis Alliance was formed 3 years ago to serve as a convening structure and a \u201cpressure point.\u201d According to Nishan Bolton from the Nelson Mandela Foundation and a member of the Alliance, they \u201cneeded to do what was possible,\u201d and could not be bystanders watching the \u201ccity collapse in front of our eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nishan outlined the work the Alliance has done thus far:<\/p>\n
The JCA wants to achieve an area of organisation and commitment in every part of Johannesburg. While the mayor has alluded to a turnaround strategy, the JCA is currently looking at the budget as they fear that the plans the mayor announced in his speech have not been backed up.<\/p>\n
The two big surprises in the mayor\u2019s speech were the rotation of managers of entities and departments along with MMC\u2019s on a bi-yearly basis; and the announcement of the bomb squad headed up by the president of the ANC Veteran\u2019s League, the details of which are unclear. Unfortunately, Nishan says that these measures will further disempower and undermine the \u201cposition of elected councillors even further.\u201d<\/p>\n