Joburg DA says it should’ve been included in presidential working group

JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg is crying foul, saying it should have been included in the presidential working group established to address the city's ongoing decline.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the group’s formation in March after expressing frustration over Johannesburg’s deteriorating state.

The group is set to include some city officials, governance experts, and people with political and administrative experience in the metro.

Ramaphosa has been unhappy with how things are going in the City of Gold, pointing out broken traffic lights, poor street lighting, and other service delivery issues as his major concerns.

He believes national government should step in to assist the metro and decided to set up a presidential working group.

While it's not yet clear if the group has started working or who is part of it, the DA said it wanted to be involved in reclaiming the city to its former glory.

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said the party could have made valuable contributions.

"We want to be part of the solution because our councillors are having the worst time ever representing their wards and not getting answers from the Joburg council and this is why it’s important that they form part of the solutions to these challenges."

The presidential working group was given two years to complete its work.

However, the president is hoping the city will be appealing to the eye before the G20 Summit sits in November.