Johannesburg, South Africa's premier city and the richest city in Africa, has set its sights on a massive $12 billion infrastructure objective to address long-overdue repairs to its water, electricity, and road systems. The city council has identified the deficit and detailed its plans in a document obtained by Bloomberg, highlighting the need to tackle frequent power outages, water shortages, and deteriorating road networks.

The city's infrastructure issues have been exacerbated by frequent power outages affecting vast areas of Johannesburg due to distribution network failures. Last year, South Africa struggled with a sub-par electricity supply, impacting certain areas of Johannesburg, as well as water shortages that lasted for up to 11 days. Additionally, officials neglected potholes for months, leading to concerns about public safety, economic stability, and environmental risks.

The city's plan to address these issues comes amidst leadership challenges and instability. Since 2019, Johannesburg has had eight mayors, owing to continually shifting alliances between the African National Congress and Economic Freedom Fighters, the ruling coalition's main parties. The current mayor is from the Al-Jama-ah party, which has only three seats out of 270 councilors. This instability has raised concerns about the city's ability to effectively tackle its infrastructure deficit.

Despite these challenges, the city's plan to invest $12 billion in infrastructure repairs is a significant step towards addressing its long-overdue maintenance needs. The investment is expected to tackle the backlog of repairs, including fixing the city's water network, addressing electricity shortages, and repairing its deteriorating road systems. If successful, the project could have a significant impact on the city's economy, public safety, and environment.

The city's infrastructure challenges are not unique to Johannesburg, with many African cities facing similar issues. However, the city's commitment to addressing its infrastructure deficit is a positive step towards creating a more sustainable and livable urban environment. As the richest city in Africa, Johannesburg's success in tackling its infrastructure challenges could serve as a model for other cities on the continent.

In conclusion, Johannesburg's $12 billion infrastructure plan is a significant step towards addressing the city's long-overdue maintenance needs. While leadership challenges and instability pose risks to the project's success, the city's commitment to tackling its infrastructure deficit is a positive step towards creating a more sustainable and livable urban environment. The project's success could have far-reaching implications for the city's economy, public safety, and environment, and could serve as a model for other African cities facing similar challenges.