On the 18th May 2018, Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba, was joined by colleagues, shareholders and board members of various city entities in the signing of the Shareholder Compact and Service Delivery Agreements between the city and all related entities.
The Mayor said of the Shareholder Compact, “These are scorecards to measure the success of our entities and service providers.”
This being the first time Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba has signed the Shareholder Compact since being inducted as the first citizen, marks a key event for his governance. As stated by the Mayor himself, “If there is no measurement, there is no way to gauge success and improvements,” showing the need for a formal agreement between shareholders and entities. The Shareholder Compact and Service Delivery Agreement acts, according to City Manager, Dr. Ndivhoniswani Lukhwareni, as a basis to “synchronise expectations and create a uniform standard of delivery.”
The nine entities present in the signing of both documents included: Joburg Water; City Power; Pikitup; Joburg Property Company; Joburg Market; Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo; Joburg City Theatres; Metropolitan Trading Company and the Johannesburg Development Agency.
Lael Bethlehem, Chairperson of City Power, relayed the importance of all entities working together. In the case of City Power, “…working together to keep the lights on and revitalise infrastructure, all this being part of the agreements being signed today.”
Chairperson of Johannesburg Water, Getty Simelane, noted the value in such an agreement as a benchmark, setting the minimum expectations required of each service provider. Simelane, expounded on the role of being a shareholder and the responsibility to take into account the broader expectations, both politically and of the people in the city itself.
In his keynote speech, Mayor Herman Mashaba made reference to the past, where some officials and entities colluded with corrupt companies for their own financial gain. However, without dwelling on the past, he made a strong statement that, “We must look into the future and create that future.” Referencing Diphetogo, “A programme born out of the realisation that tough decisions need to be made to pull Johannesburg back on the right path,” the Mayor said the only way to create the future we strive for is with real change.
The Executive Mayor and all those on his team are fully committed to making service delivery a priority for the City of Johannesburg, as such an Ethics Committee has been established with Acting Group Head of Corporate Governance, Raj Pillay, being appointed as the first ethics custodian. In his keynote speech, Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba said, “To ensure the city is working optimally for our people, we need to create a culture of ethical behavior and leadership…this is crucial because in so doing we can align ourselves to our shareholders.”
The Executive Mayor and his team are laying the foundation of a strong city, which the next government and the next generation can build on. “Once again making Johannesburg a city of golden opportunity for all.”