The business community, central to the operations of the Presidential Working Group dedicated to addressing service delivery challenges in eThekwini Municipality, believes the group is delivering on its mandate.

They told The Mercury yesterday that many economic opportunities have emerged since its formation in April last year, adding that the city is on the right track.

The work of the group came under the spotlight recently after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the group had achieved success in Durban.

He said that this model should be replicated in the Johannesburg Metro to help with the inner city rejuvenation.

Ramaphosa recently went on an inspection tour of Johannesburg, expressing concerns about its dire state, especially with the G20 Summit set to be hosted there later this year.

The presidential working group was appointed in Durban following complaints by the business community that the municipality was struggling to deliver essential services. Andrzej Kiepiela, of the KZN Growth Coalition, said the group has worked well in the province because there is a unity of purpose.

Kiepiela noted that businesses identified four priority areas: water and sanitation challenges, infrastructure, port logistics, and the negative effects of pollution on beaches and tourism.

“There have been numerous meetings between business and senior government officials aimed at consolidating a plan of action. These have been followed by investment conferences where pledges of billions of rand were made, and there are now plans in place to action those pledges by cutting red tape and encouraging investments.

“Business appreciates that the government is trying. The unity of purpose is clear, and there is a significant reduction in the trust deficit that previously existed. The identification and promotion of projects, along with great co-operation between the SAPS, premier, business, and state organs, indicate that progress is being made,” he said.

Kiepiela said the decision by the president to replicate the working group in Johannesburg was not surprising.

“The president indicated that while success is possible, challenges lie ahead. It must not be construed that everything is positive; networks that perpetuate corruption must be investigated. They believe the Durban project should be scrutinised, and the structuring of rates should be considered for economic development.

“The advice I would give to colleagues in Johannesburg is that there should be a unity of purpose approach, and the best people must be found irrespective of the party they represent to create the core team. Politics should be minimised as much as possible,” he said.

A local government expert said that while the working group is delivering, it would be unfair to expect it to address all issues simultaneously.

“The president also needs to be commended for taking such actions. There is nothing in the Constitution that says he must get involved in addressing such matters, but taking such action helps to focus the public on addressing the challenges we face,” he said.

He noted that in eThekwini, one of the key changes was the appointment of mayor Cyril Xaba. “The mayor is dedicated; every week, he spends almost two days just trying to address the water challenges.”

Political analyst Thabani Khumalo expressed uncertainty regarding what the president was referring to when he said the team had achieved success in eThekwini.

“eThekwini is deteriorating day by day; it is worse than it was before. As a resident, I see that daily,” he said.

“We have heard Johannesburg leaders state that they will prioritise the routes for the G20. That is what happened with the 2010 World Cup, so after the G20, Johannesburg will remain as it was. The major problem we face is that we have not been able to appoint the right people to the right positions.”

THE MERCURY