When Herman Mashaba resigned as Executive Mayor of Johannesburg in November 2019, he left behind more than just an office. He left behind a blueprint for a city on a path to recovery.
His Delivering Diphetogo End of Term Report is not merely a record of achievements. It is a reminder of what Johannesburg looked like when its leaders were focused on service delivery, infrastructure investment, anti-corruption, and restoring public confidence in local government.
Today, nearly seven years after Mashaba’s departure, Johannesburg finds itself facing many of the same challenges that his administration sought to address. In some respects, those challenges have worsened. Residents endure regular water interruptions, electricity failures, collapsing road infrastructure, and a growing sense that the city has lost direction.
The question facing Johannesburg voters is not whether the city is declining. The evidence is visible on almost every street corner, in the suburbs and townships. The real question is whether there is a leader with a proven record of tackling those problems.
Mashaba’s End of Term Report provides compelling evidence that he is equal to the task. The report reveals the poor state of Johannesburg when he assumed office in 2016. His administration inherited an estimated R170 billion infrastructure backlog, widespread cadre deployment and corruption, and a municipality that was disconnected from the urgent service delivery needs of ordinary residents.
Transforming Joburg was a mammoth task. His administration increased expenditure on infrastructure repair and housing provision. Hundreds of kilometres of water and sewer pipes were replaced. Major electricity substations were refurbished or upgraded, adding to the City’s power capacity. Thousands of public lights were installed. Roads were resurfaced, bridges repaired and pothole repair were accelerated. These were not cosmetic interventions; they addressed the fundamentals of a functioning city.
Mashaba understood that good governance is not measured by press conferences. It is measured by whether residents have water coming from their taps, electricity in their homes, opportunities for upward mobility, and roads that are properly maintained.
His administration recognised that economic growth and service delivery are inseparable. A city cannot create jobs if investors have no confidence in its governance. It cannot attract investments without the guarantee of reliable basic services.
Under his leadership, investment into Johannesburg increased dramatically. This was at R4.5 billion in the 2016/17 financial year, R8.78 billion in the 2017/18 period, and R17.3 billion in the 2018/19 financial year. The Inner-City Rejuvenation Project unlocked R32 billion in private-sector investment, was earmarked to create 22000 jobs during the construction phase, would produce 14000 affordable housing units. The vision was simple but powerful: create a city that works, and businesses will invest. Unfortunately, because of Helen Zille’s consistent meddling in my administration, this opportunity to turn the city into a construction site never came to pass.
That zero-tolerance to corruption approach to governance is not a promise. It is the solution to fix Joburg. The Mashaba administration was uncompromising in this regard. For too long, corruption was an invisible tax on poor residents. Every rand stolen through corruption is a money that cannot be spent on housing, infrastructure, healthcare or public safety.
Mashaba declared corruption as public enemy number one. He established a specialised anti-corruption unit to investigate malfeasance. Thousands of cases were investigated. Accountability mechanisms were introduced. Whether one agreed with all of his methods or not, there was clarity about his priorities.
His administration also introduced reforms designed to professionalise the public service. Performance management systems were strengthened. Project tracking tools were introduced. Service standards were monitored. Greater emphasis was placed on competence and accountability. These may sound like technical administrative matters, but they are precisely the kind of reforms that determine whether government succeeds or fails. Cities are not transformed by slogans. They are transformed by systems.
Another area where Mashaba demonstrated leadership was public safety. The recruitment of additional 1500 JMPD officers, the establishment of intelligence-driven policing initiatives, and by-law enforcement responded to residents’ concerns about rampant lawlessness. Restoring the rule of law was central to his vision for Johannesburg’s future.
Critics may argue that Mashaba’s tenure of three years didn’t address all of the challenges beleaguering the city. They are correct. Housing backlogs remained substantial. Infrastructure deficits persisted. Crime remained a major concern. But that is precisely the point. The End of Term Report is not the story of completed work. It is the story of work that had begun. Large cities do not change overnight.
The Diphetogo programme itself recognised this reality. Real change requires consistency and long-term commitment. It requires leaders who are willing to
make difficult decisions and focus, despite political turbulence. Mashaba’s resignation interrupted much-needed progress.
Since then, Johannesburg has experienced frequent political instability, changing coalition partners, and a revolving door of leadership. Long-term planning has often given way to short-term political survival.
The result is visible. Residents experience worsening service delivery. Businesses face increasing costs. Infrastructure continues to deteriorate. Public confidence in local government has eroded. The contrast with the reform agenda outlined in Delivering Diphetogo is difficult to ignore.
Whether one supports ActionSA or not, there is a legitimate argument that Herman Mashaba represents unfinished business for Johannesburg. His report demonstrates a leader who understood the scale of the city’s challenges and addressed them through robust interventions rather than rhetoric. It demonstrates a leader focused on investment, service delivery, infrastructure renewal, public safety, and anti-corruption. Most importantly, it demonstrates that Johannesburg’s decline is not inevitable.
Johannesburg remains South Africa’s economic engine. When Johannesburg succeeds, the country benefits. When Johannesburg fails, the ripple effects is felt across the country.
As residents consider their choices in future elections, they would do well to revisit Mashaba’s End of Term Report. It provides something that is rare in South African politics: evidence of a clear plan, measurable progress, and a vision that remains unfinished. The question is whether Johannesburg is prepared to give that vision another chance.
I believe residents should. Herman Mashaba has already demonstrated that he can lead Johannesburg with purpose, integrity and a focus on results. His record shows that progress is possible when competent leadership is matched with a clear vision. Given the opportunity, he deserves the chance to finish what he started and continue the work of rebuilding South Africa’s economic heartland.
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