Moya calls on global leaders to pay closer attention to local governments

JOHANNESBURG - Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya has called on global leaders to pay closer attention to local governments as G20 mayors wrap up their three-day meeting in the country.

Moya made the comments on the final day of the U20 Mayors Summit in Sandton on Sunday.

Tshwane and Johannesburg co-hosted mayors from the G20 bloc this week to bring to the fore priorities they believe need to be addressed by cities across the globe.

This includes infrastructure development, digital transformation and innovation, climate action and social inclusion.

It is the first time the U20 Summit is convening on African soil, positioning South African cities at the forefront of global urban dialogue.

Moya said there needs to be better collaboration between all spheres of government for socioeconomic challenges to be fully addressed.

"We have a cry that we’ve never received feedback from G20 leaders about our U20 communique. We are asking for feedback, but we are also asking for a relationship. We are not subgovernments, we are colleagues. We are colleagues that are in the coalface of service delivery. So, we are saying in South Africa, in Africa and with all the mayors globally, we are available to work with our national governments.”

Former deputy president and co-convenor of the Global Social Summit, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, was also among the delegates in the room.

"We do hope that in November, we will bring this work to the high table and hopefully from there, we will all work towards ensuring that we reap the benefits of your hard work."