10-09-2012: Survey confirms progress regarding access to services in Johannesburg
A comprehensive survey of Gauteng residents undertaken by university researchers confirms increased access to basic services leading to improvements in the
quality of life. The “Quality of Life in the Gauteng City Region: 2011” survey conducted by the Gauteng City Region Observatory (GCRO) places
Johannesburg near the top of municipalities in the province in all the indicators of basic services such as piped water, refuse collection, access to
sanitation, energy and transport.
The GCRO report is a joint initiative between the Gauteng Provincial Government and the Universities of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand. Almost 17 000
respondents in Gauteng were interviewed during the 2011 Quality of Life Survey, including in every municipal ward in Johannesburg.
The survey was conducted through interviews with residents 18 years and older, randomly sampled across the province. Among the most pertinent findings on
Johannesburg are:
* 93% of households have access to piped water;
* Less than 5% of households do not have access to regular refuse collection;
* 91% of households have access to either a flush toilet or waterborne toilets;
* 72% level of satisfaction with dwellings;
* 82 % level of satisfaction with water;
* 79% level of satisfaction with sanitation; and
* 85% level of satisfaction with waste removal.
Mr Trevor Fowler the City Manager of Johannesburg says the survey confirms that the City is making progress with the delivery of the services that
contribute to improved quality of life for residents.
“It is also in line with our own interaction with the communities in Johannesburg during our consultations leading up to the adoption of the City’s GDS 2040
Strategy last year. Issues of concern raised in the Survey are receiving priority attention in on-going City initiatives,” he says.
The Executive Director of the GCRO, Prof David Everatt, says: “Gauteng has fared extremely well during the last two years of global economic recession, and
overall quality of life has risen very slightly for the province as a whole.
” Mr Fowler says the biggest areas of concern raised by residents during the survey are public safety, public transport and access to economic opportunities
as well as the quality of the customer experience when they interact with the City.
The survey shows that access to public transport in Johannesburg is “reasonably good” within more than 75% of households living within a 10 minute walk of a
public transport service. Although 81.1% of bus users are either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” – the number of people making use of the service remain
low. The expansion of Rea Vaya, the City’s Bus Rapid Transit system will increase the popularity of public transport in years to come, says Mr Fowler.
The Quality of Life Survey showed some positive results in relation to billing. Fifty-one percent (51%) of Johannesburg residents were satisfied with the
cost of municipal services and 32% dissatisfied. The rest were undecided.
Fifty percent (50%) were satisfied with the quality of billing and 31% dissatisfied. These results were better for white residents (with 64% satisfied) than
for African residents (with only 47% satisfied with their bills) and were better than for most other municipalities in Gauteng. Customer concerns about
billing data are being progressively resolved through the City’s roadmap for revenue enhancement which includes the removal of the backlog of queries and
the introduction of new measures to improve the accuracy of bills.
“These are exactly the issues that the City has singled out for special initiatives in line with our GDS 2040 commitments,” he says. > To address concerns
about public safety, the City recently launched a comprehensive plan for visible, ward-based policing – Joburg 10 Plus. Teams of JMPD officers are allocated
to each ward in the City and will work together with other departments and agencies in a multi-agency approach to counter crime and other social ills, such
as illegal dumping, vandalism of infrastructure, urban decay and by-law infringements.
The City’s service delivery Customer Charter will be publicized this week. This document will commit City employees to address issues raised by customers
within certain prescribed times and according to set standards of quality.
Issued on behalf of:
Mr Trevor Fowler
City Manager
Ends
Released by:
Gabu Tugwana
Group Communication Director
City of Johannesburg
Phone: 011 407 7162
Mobile: 082 495 5673
