MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

ActionSA Breaks Ranks with Coalition in Joburg

Dear Editor

Merely 24 hours after reaching an agreement with coalition partners in Joburg, ActionSA broke ranks and decided to follow its own path with its own agenda.

This happened during the Joburg council meeting held on Friday 21 October when ActionSA nominated its own candidates for crucial committee chairperson positions competing with coalition partners opposing the ANC. This despite agreeing to support coalition partners for specific portfolio positions just 24 hours earlier.

An example of this was the agreement to support the IFP for the position of Chairperson of Committees. ActionSA nominated their own candidate despite the agreement, forcing the IFP to withdraw its nomination.

ActionSA continued to oppose the coalition against the ANC in further votes including the one for Chief Whip of council where it opposed the DA candidate.

It is clear that ActionSA has no intention of saving Johannesburg from the ANC-led Coalition of the Corrupt and that they will no longer share the vision and principles of the Coalition of Hope.

This treachery is a slap in the face of all those coalition partners who, along with the residents of the City of Johannesburg, want a government that will govern in the interests of the people. It seems that ActionSA’s much proclaimed decision to not work with the ANC was either never true or very short lived. In the end, ActionSA’s hypocrisy has been laid bare.

The Democratic Alliance remains committed to the work of the coalition to rid Johannesburg of the ANC coalition of corruption and replace it with a government with values, principles and that believes in the rule of law. Those chasing little more than power, position and publicity should note that the citizens of this fine city see them for what they are.

Regards

Solly Msimanga MPL
Official Leader of the Opposition-Gauteng

Category:

The Wilds: Rebirth

The “rebirth” of The Wilds is one of the most heartening community success stories in modern Johannesburg history. It was spearheaded by local artist James Delaney and a dedicated group of volunteers starting around 2013. Delaney began by simply clearing dead wood and trimming overgrown paths on his own, but the project soon evolved into a massive public-private partnership. The most iconic addition to the park during this revival was the installation of over 100 laser-cut steel sculptures of animals. These brightly colored owls, giraffes, antelopes, and monkeys are perched in the trees and tucked behind rocks, turning a walk through the reserve into a scavenger hunt for “industrial wildlife.”

Today, The Wilds is a thriving, safe, and dog-friendly space that hosts yoga classes, art exhibitions, and thousands of visitors every weekend. It has become a symbol of “active citizenship”—the idea that the residents of Johannesburg don’t have to wait for the government to fix their city; they can take ownership of their own neighborhoods. The park is also a critical ecological corridor; in a city that is increasingly paved over, The Wilds provides a habitat for indigenous birdlife and insects that would otherwise struggle to survive in the “concrete jungle.”