OUTA’s Joburg Community Action Network (JoburgCAN) was established towards the end of 2023 to ensure responsible use of the metro’s revenue, and to force improved service delivery by the City of Johannesburg. But for this to work, residents must join hands – also with authorities – and get involved in finding solutions for the challenges our city is facing. Have a look at featured events and actions undertaken, and become part of the solution.

Residents and businesses in municipal areas have certain rights, and to ensure that they get the services they pay for, it’s important to know what these rights are and to apply them.  Imagine the kind of change that could happen in Johannesburg when communities, resident associations, and business forums unite and use their collective power.  

How should we challenge municipal authorities and engage with officials to ensure that they work in the best interests of the community and businesses? Impactful change will also happen faster if citizens and officials work together to find solutions for all the challenges.

The big question is: how can residents, businesses and officials co-govern successfully to make Johannesburg a better place for all who live here? 

JoburgCAN kicked off a new monthly co-governance series with two community champions who shared inspiring stories and useful tips to ensure service delivery in their communities. Though we learnt there are no silver bullets, it was a great discussion on turning active citizenry into real delivery. If you missed it, be sure to watch it here.  

Next month’s webinar will be highlighting the precedent set in Makanda Municipality, where the city council was dissolved through court action, and the options this might provide for Joburg residents. 

As part of JoburgCAN’s mission to add oversight and accountability to the City of Joburg’s functions, we have sent written input on the COJ Annual Report 2022/23. This response will be included in the Municipal Public Accounts Committees (MPAC) feedback and tabled in council. We are being registered as a recognised stakeholder with the COJ, and we will continue to ask tough questions and demand transparent action in all council meetings and section 79 committee oversight sittings on behalf of residents’ associations (RAs) affiliated to us. 

Affiliates have an opportunity to dictate some of these interventions and guide our oversight of COJ through discussions at networking sessions, and Julia Fish, Joburg CAN’s manager, urged associations to remain actively involved at these meetings. 

If you would like JoburgCAN to present at or respond to questions about the project at your upcoming RA committee meeting and AGM, please let us know. “We look forward to welcoming new affiliates,” Fish said. 

Contact Julia at julia.fish@joburgcan.org.za for more information, or if you have a topic you would like JoburgCAN to cover in the monthly co-governance series.

 ***BEING BILLED FOR AIR INSTEAD OF WATER? 

If you are battling with heavily inflated water bills despite regular, often long water outages, please have a look at the WaterCAN page in this newsletter and fill in the questionnaire to help us better understand the scope of this problem. You will also find a link to an episode of Carte Blanche dealing with this topic – it seems to be happening all over Johannesburg.