JOHANNESBURG — The City of Johannesburg has acknowledged the creation of a new “bomb squad” unit aimed at addressing persistent service delivery shortcomings and supporting existing municipal teams struggling to keep the city clean and functional.
The bomb squad, composed of dedicated public servants, is charged with ensuring that service delivery plans are executed effectively across Johannesburg. Its formation comes in response to widespread criticism of the city’s performance, including from President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has called out leadership for failing to deliver tangible improvements.
At a media briefing on Thursday, Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Morero explained the reasoning behind the initiative: “It’s an acknowledgement of the decline that has happened in the city since 2016, and now we want to arrest and change it.”
Morero emphasized that the bomb squad is not intended to duplicate efforts but to provide targeted support where gaps and weaknesses exist. “We believe that in the next year or so, we should have turned around the city,” he added.
The new unit is part of broader efforts by city officials to restore confidence in Johannesburg’s governance and improve the daily lives of residents amid ongoing service delivery challenges.