JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — The ambitious vision to transform Johannesburg into a World Class African City may currently feel like a dream deferred, but the architect of that very plan, former Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo, remains steadfast in his belief that the goal can still be realized.
During his mayoral tenure from 2001 to 2011, Masondo championed the initiative to benchmark South Africa’s economic hub against the best global metropolises. The comprehensive plan was originally designed to balance robust economic growth, spatial integration, and enhanced service delivery for all residents.
Today, however, the realization of that project appears increasingly distant. The city currently grapples with a severe infrastructure crisis, inner-city decay, and ongoing political instability, which has led some to view the City of Gold as a shadow of its former self.
Despite these modern hurdles, Masondo emphasizes that the metro cannot afford to fall behind. He recently reiterated the collective responsibility to develop and position Johannesburg to compete with key global cities, stressing the need for futuristic improvements, continuous urban renewal, and rejuvenation to ensure the city ranks among the best in the world.
During his time in office, Masondo’s administration focused heavily on transforming the city’s largest township, overseeing the paving of over 300 kilometers of gravel roads within a record timeframe, with initial completion targets successfully set for December 2005. Additionally, he spearheaded the introduction of the city’s Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system, a pioneering transit model that was subsequently reproduced and adapted by other municipalities across the country.
As the metro intensifies its search for new mayoral leadership, some observers argue that the decisive, visionary governance exemplified by Masondo is exactly what Johannesburg residents are longing for today. For the original masterminds of the “World Class African City” blueprint, the hope of restoring the metro to its intended prominence remains alive, even as critical questions linger over where the execution faltered and how the city can fix its trajectory moving forward.
