At least 20% of Gauteng residents are dissatisfied with the services provided by the provincial government, including electricity, water, sanitation and roads, Premier Nomvula Mokonyane said.

Mokonyane said a 2011-12 survey of nearly 17 000 Gauteng residents also indicated that, according to an index that took into account factors such as the availability of transport, water and electricity, the quality of life in the province had risen from 6.24 to 6.25 over the past two years, on a scale of one to 10.

The study, due to be released next month, is conducted every two years by the universities of Johannesburg and Witwatersrand, in collaboration with Gauteng’s provincial and local governments.

The study could be a useful planning tool for the private sector, as it seeks opportunities in the deficit in access to basic services, an area where the private sector could partner with the government.
A report by research provider Municipal IQ earlier this month noted that while there was a steep increase in service delivery protests throughout South Africa between January and May this year — with the Western Cape the hardest hit — Gauteng experienced a decline.

However, that report attributed the decline to “a policing solution to contain violence and destruction of property” and said it was important for local government, especially councillors, to acknowledge protests without justifying violence and to be seen acting to address protesters’ grievances.

Mokonyane — rated second to Western Cape Premier Helen Zille in a recent Public Service Commission report — said on Friday: “As the servants of the people, our job is to listen to people, hear their complaints and make sure our budgets and plans are geared to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable.”

Source: Business Day

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