LETTER: New Joburg mayor makes hollow promises
Geoff Makhubo says the city is on the verge of financial collapse but he also promises a host of freebies
I cannot fathom the stupidity in the statement and promises made by new Johannesburg mayor Geoff Makhubo. On one hand he said he found the city’s finances on the verge of total collapse, with liabilities of more than three times assets, and in the same breath promised a host of freebies, such as an allocation of free water and electricity to both informal and formal settlements, city streets to be cleaned three times daily, houses to be built and roads upgraded — and of course he will provide free Wi-Fi to the townships.
On top of all these promises, Makhubo said he will create food banks that will provide a social safety net to the poor. If the city is so deep in the poo and has so much debt, where does he think the money for all of this will come from? Maybe his previous “experience” and the corruption cloud that is hanging over his head have taught him a few tricks.
Jean Michel Bouvier
Bryanston