As the current term of office draws to a close, it is an opportune time to reflect on how far the leadership of the City of Johannesburg has advanced its spatial redesign and socioeconomic transformation mandate.

When we came into office in 2011 we made a commitment to residents to improve their lives through accelerated delivery of services and the implementation of developmental programmes that they can directly participate in and benefit from. This is exactly what we have been doing as a developmental local government.

The city's tarred roads, a bus rapid transit system, streets lined with trees and paving on sidewalks, shopping malls, state-of-the-art recreational parks with gym facilities and multipurpose centres - are just a few demonstrators of service delivery.

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The metropolitan municipality has brought free online education into public libraries, our COJ Free WiFi is alive, while even a remarkable theatre and a massive stadium can be found in Soweto today, and the list goes on.

Today these interventions are being replicated across a number of the city's townships in addition to basic service delivery of water, electricity and integrated housing. We are also taking these basic services, including electricity supply, into selected informal settlements. It is important to point out that Johannesburg is still a city at work to undo the spatial injustices of apartheid that require more years to completely eradicate.

The Joburg Growth and Development Strategy 2040 vision is a reflection of the intense focus on accelerated service delivery, together with the extensive outreach and consultation process that took place to review and finalise it.

This is, however, not a vision that will be fully realised overnight. Through the developmental programmes and service delivery innovations and initiatives, we know that we are delivering well on our commitments to residents.

The challenges that we faced in 2011, and in some cases continue to face, were numerous. We are a vibrant and diverse city, with a population of 4.7million people.

Our city has world-class infrastructure and facilities, as well as growing levels of middle- and upper-class residents. At the same time, many households remain in poverty, with food security and inequality ongoing challenges.

Five years ago the city faced challenges around financial sustainability and resilience. This was one of the first areas the Johannesburg leadership committed to resolving when we began our term of office. The particular challenge here was to turn around the billing system, and focus on fiscal responsibility and high standards of prudent financial management.

Today we are a city that has received unqualified audit opinions for the past three financial years. We have built our cash reserves significantly, and we are driving the highest capital investment programme in the country.

Almost five years ago, the City also implemented an outcome-based approach to our work. This involved ensuring that not only do we deliver projects and programmes, but that we also focused on measuring and monitoring their impact.

This kept our focus firm on building a liveable, resilient and a sustainable city.

We have continued to build integrated communities through our spatial redesign drive and flagship infrastructure through programmes such as the Corridors of Freedom, which includes the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit system.

We have established solid and ongoing partnerships with both the public and private sector, including academic institutions. This is through our Jozi@Work, Vulindlel'eJozi youth programme and the JoziMyBeginning Community Innovation Fund flagship programmes. Our youth development strategy is recognised as being among the best in the world by the Citi Foundation and The Economist.

Johannesburg has overall built a good reputation, both locally and globally, and we continue to be a destination of choice for business tourism, as well as for international conferences and events.

As a growing smart city, we have developed technology, using digital tools for better connectivity and improved service delivery through our free WiFi hotspots, our new portal Maru a Jozi and e-libraries.

We have built innovation into all of our work, and the Green Bond continues to receive prestigious recognition as a revolutionary approach to financing and the mitigation of climate change.

Innovation has also enabled us to start producing electricity from sludge at our treatment plants while also exploring hydropower as another alternative that could significantly mitigate load shedding.

As the end of the 2011/2016 term of office draws near, we are sure that the path towards realising our long-term Joburg 2040 vision remains sound.

Challenges remain, particularly around socioeconomic transformation. It is important for all the work we have done to be continued. This will ensure greater impact in creating access to economic and social opportunities, and improve the quality of life for the many who live in Johannesburg.

Tau is the City of Johannesburg executive mayor and ANC mayoral candidate for the August 3 local government elections.