Specialised unit to combat lawlessness and service delivery in Joburg

By Akani Nkuna

The Johannesburg Bomb Squad (JBS), which will tackle lawlessness, urban decay and the service delivery backlog, was launched in the metro on Thursday.

It follows commitments made by Mayor Dada Morero in his State of the City Address last month.

Speaking during the launch at the Soweto Hote in Kliptown, Morero told reporters that the unit aimed would also help enforce by-laws and restore order across the metro as part of a broader push to improve urban management and responsiveness to community needs.

He said business intelligence gathering would be at the core of the work of the JBS.

“This will be executed by having meetings with the relevant parties/authorities to isolate areas of potential land and or building invasions and to propose proactive intervention,” the mayor added.

The unit would focus on removing barriers that stalled the city’s progress and delayed the fulfilment of its long-term