JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — African Transformation Movement (ATM) mayoral candidate Vuyo Zungula has pledged to reopen the Johannesburg Metro Centre within his first 100 days in office if elected. As the local government elections draw to a close, Zungula outlined a comprehensive strategy to restore service delivery, arguing that the economic hub can no longer afford to remain a bargaining chip in coalition negotiations.
Zungula, who has built a reputation in the National Assembly for driving aggressive accountability debates—particularly surrounding the Pala Pala matter—argues that Johannesburg requires a fearless administration. He contends that constant changes in leadership weaken accountability and disrupt policy continuity, leaving the city vulnerable to embedded criminal syndicates involved in hijacked buildings, illicit trade, and illegal mining.
Tackling Infrastructure and Financial Mismanagement
A cornerstone of Zungula’s 100-day plan is the immediate reopening of the Johannesburg Metro Centre. The building has been vacant for over two years, forcing the city to pay rent for external office space. Zungula described this as wasteful expenditure, noting that the savings from eliminated rental costs could be redirected to productive infrastructure maintenance.
Highlighting severe infrastructure decay, Zungula pointed out that Johannesburg currently spends only 0.5% of its asset value on infrastructure maintenance. This falls drastically short of the 8% recommended by the National Treasury and the 10% to 15% spent by other municipalities. Consequently, the city loses approximately 40% to 49% of its non-revenue water to leaks and vandalism. Furthermore, the city has spent over R2 billion on water tankers since 2018, turning what should be an emergency intervention into a permanent, costly fixture.
Addressing the city’s R97 billion budget, Zungula insisted that financial stabilization must precede any tax, tariff, or levy hikes. He called for the eradication of wasteful and irregular expenditure, demanding consequences for those implicated in annual Auditor-General reports. Additionally, he stressed the need to crack down on big commercial players and the illicit economy that utilize city resources without paying rates.
Public Health and the Informal Economy
Public health and the informal economy feature prominently in the ATM’s manifesto. Following the tragic deaths of children from contaminated snacks in 2024, the ATM pushed for a Public Protector investigation. The resulting Section 79 report revealed that Johannesburg requires a minimum of 600 environmental health practitioners but currently employs fewer than 250. It also found that 84% of operational spaza shops in the city are non-compliant with relevant legislation.
Zungula vowed to close all non-compliant spaza shops within his first 100 days, describing them as breeding grounds for mishaps. Subsequently, the ATM plans to work with the South African Spaza Shop Association to help citizens establish compliant, legally funded businesses, ensuring South Africans have a proper stake in the township economy.
Track Record and Intergovernmental Collaboration
Defending the ATM’s track record, Zungula highlighted the successes of the party’s former MMC for community development. During a 16-month tenure, the MMC successfully reclaimed a hijacked building in Hillbrow and completed two library projects that had been stalled for eight years.
Addressing the complex discourse around municipal versus national powers, Zungula dismissed the idea of a mayor who strictly limits themselves to local mandates. Because Johannesburg contributes 16% to the national GDP and attracts massive internal and external migration, he argued, the executive mayor must actively collaborate with National Treasury, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and the President.
Zungula noted that Johannesburg currently has fewer than 200 immigration officers, compared to a national total of 1,100, making it impossible for local metro police to handle immigration raids. He emphasized that solving the city’s systemic issues requires a mayor willing to be a “nuisance” to national government until the necessary intergovernmental interventions are realized for the people of Johannesburg.
