Cape Town’s three-year infrastructure plan totals R40 billion, with an impressive 75% of it directly benefitting lower-income households.
Cape Town’s poor are seeing progress due to the well-run DA government, while the poor in ANC-led Johannesburg are experiencing decay.
At Council sittings, the Councillors in the Government of Local Unity (GLU) take every opportunity to disavow the statements made by the Democratic Alliance (DA) that Cape Town is governed better than Johannesburg. In vitriolic heckling, they yell out, “What about Khayelitsha and Langa”
This is their attempt to create a false narrative where the more affluent suburbs in Cape Town are favoured by the DA government, which is refuted by the facts.
While both Cape Town and Johannesburg claim to be world-class cities, their budgets tell two very different stories about who they truly serve. In the face of South Africa’s deepening inequality, the contrast between Cape Town’s focused pro-poor investment and Johannesburg’s scattered spending is stark and revealing.
Cape Town: Policy with purpose
Cape Town’s three-year infrastructure plan totals R40 billion, with an impressive 75% of it directly benefitting lower-income households.
Just the 75% pro-poor portion of Cape Town’s record budget exceeds the entire capital budget of Joburg and all other cities by some distance. It is therefore undeniable that Cape Town invests the most in pro-poor infrastructure.
The results are visible. More than 506,000 households in Cape Town benefit from free water and sanitation, with Stats SA’s Household Survey finding this far exceeds the reach of all three Gauteng metros.
Among Cape Town’s game-changing mega-projects in lower-income communities, is the recently completed R4 billion Zandvliet Wastewater upgrade, which serves the whole of Khayelitsha.
Cape Town is also expanding MyCiTi bus routes from Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain and a host of other lower-income communities to the tune of R10bn overall, making this SA’s biggest public transport project for any metro currently.
Cape Town further continues to lead South Africa’s cities with the lowest unemployment rate.
Overall, the Auditor-General awarded a clean audit to Cape Town, reflecting its good governance record with positive outcomes.
This isn’t tokenism; it’s measurable, transparent, and deliberate.
This shows a clear political choice that the DA is making in prioritising people over prestige.
Cape Town’s infrastructure investment is not just about pipes and pavements. It’s about jobs, dignity, and stability. This reflects not only efficient service delivery but also a genuine commitment to social equity.
Johannesburg: A city falling behind
Johannesburg, by contrast, received an unqualified audit with findings — including material irregularities and unachieved performance targets.
Johannesburg’s 2025/26 capital budget stands at R8.7 billion, which is far smaller than Cape Town’s R40 billion plan.
Johannesburg’s infrastructure deficit is growing, not shrinking, worsened by an executive leadership who are disconnected from the realities of the residents or hampered by politically connected appointments.
The consequences are felt daily, from crippling water outages in townships to uncollected refuse in informal areas and under serviced sanitation, posing a huge health and safety risk.
Overall, the inferior governance of the ANC in Johannesburg has turned a city of opportunity into a place of survival, trading pride for frustration amongst its residents.
A lesson in governance
Cape Town’s success story under the Democratic Alliance is grounded in one principle: good governance delivers for the poor. The City plans transparently, executes effectively, and accounts for every rand.
Johannesburg, under unstable coalitions and shifting alliances, continues to drift into an abyss. Despite being South Africa’s economic engine, its failure to prioritise the poor exposes a lack of direction and political will.
If Johannesburg wants to rebuild trust and restore dignity to its residents, it must look south — to a City that proves pro-poor spending is not charity, but sound economics. Perhaps it is time that the GLU does some much-needed introspection, and instead of trying to deflect blame from their almost thirty years of poor governance, realise that as Councillors we are there to serve our residents and not their political masters.
Johannesburg needs a new and decisive government that will end the corruption, ineptitude, and abuse of its citizens. The power to do this rests in the hands of the electorate, by voting for a party that has a proven track record that where they govern, they govern better.