/ 10 May 2010

Jo’burg is world class, say majority of residents

Almost three out of every four Johannesburg residents rate their city as “world class”, according to a survey released on Monday.

The survey, conducted by international consultants Accenture’s Global Cities Forum, canvassed the opinions of the city’s citizens across different races and living conditions.

“The survey … found that nearly three out of every four (73%) Johannesburg residents see their city as world class, which puts it on a par with cities like Los Angeles (75%), New York City (73%) and Singapore (75%),” it said in a statement.

However, it also found residents had concerns about a range of issues, including corruption, the inefficient delivery of public services and the lack of transparency and accountability in the administration of public funds.

“Most Johannesburg taxpayers rate their city as world class — but they want more transparency and accountability from public service organisations,” it said.

Residents also wanted government to make public service organisations’ spending and performance data available to the public so it could be scrutinised, the survey said. — Sapa