The mayors of South Africa’s two largest economic hubs will use a major international summit this week to seek solutions for the intense strain that rapid urban migration is placing on their cities’ infrastructure.
Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero outlined their priorities during a pre-briefing session for the Urban 20 (U20) Mayoral Summit, held in Sandton. Both mayors identified uncontrollable urban migration as a primary cause of urban decay and the proliferation of illegally occupied buildings, issues that are overwhelming their metros.
The U20 summit brings together mayors from across the G20 member states to develop urban solutions for global challenges. The outcomes of the mayoral discussions will later be presented at the broader G20 summit later this year.
Mayor Morero stated that a central topic for Johannesburg at the U20 will be climate action and mobilizing global resources to help municipalities respond. He drew a direct line between climate change and urban infrastructure, citing flooding in areas like Soweto as an example of the challenges exacerbated by a strained system.
“The biggest issue at the U20 is climate action and climate change and how we going to respond as municipalities,” Morero said. “How do we mobilize resources globally to help us respond to climate change and challenges that are faced?”
He detailed local interventions, such as tree-planting initiatives and a program to mitigate flooding along the Juskei River in Alexandra. However, he emphasized that such measures require significant financial support, which he hopes the U20 will help secure by making recommendations to global financial institutions and national governments.
Echoing these concerns, Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya pointed to her city’s 10-year infrastructure development plan, which aims to overhaul water, electricity, and road systems to be more resilient. Yet, she argued that internal measures are insufficient without addressing the root cause of the migration surge.
Mayor Moya revealed that a key legacy project from hosting the U20 would be an annual assembly of African mayors. She argued that the development of other African cities is directly linked to the pressure felt in South Africa’s economic centres.
“If other African cities are not developing at the pace that the city of Johannesburg and city of Tshwane are developing then it doesn’t help us because obviously people will always follow opportunities and development,” Moya stated.
She cited a recent meeting with the mayor of Harare as an example of the necessary collaboration, noting bluntly, “if Harare doesn’t develop the city of Johannesburg and city of Tshwane will forever be a place where the residents from Zimbabwe come and look for opportunity.”
Both mayors concluded that while they are pursuing internal economic revitalization projects, a lasting solution requires a coordinated continental effort to ensure opportunity and development are available across the region, thereby reducing the pressure on South Africa’s critical economic engines.
