The British High Commission, through the Future Cities Programme, will provide partner municipalities with an additional R42-million of technical assistance as part of their coronavirus (Covid-19) response and recovery plans in South Africa.

British High Commissioner to South Africa Nigel Casey said this assistance was in response to requests from partner municipalities to help them remain resilient and viable in the face of the many challenging effects of the pandemic.

The City of Johannesburg responded to the offer of assistance with a request for support in their financial recovery and analysis of Covid-19’s impact on urban planning and transport.

“We’re pleased to be able to work with cities here in South Africa, as they work hard to reduce the effects of this virus,” said Casey.

He added that the British High Commission enjoyed a strong partnership with the City and was keen to respond to its needs during the pandemic.

The supplementary support aimed to work with existing municipal government departments in areas such as data analysis, modelling and logistics, with an emphasis on building the economic and social resilience of cities.

Casey said the added capacity aimed to target healthcare logistics planning, impact management in informal settlements and economic mitigation and recovery strategies.

Johannesburg mayor Geoff Makhubo explained that the relationship between the City and the Embassy stemmed from years of collaborative and mutually beneficial interests.

“As the City of Johannesburg continues to battle Covid-19 with limited resources, we are grateful of the support we receive from the British taxpayers. We hope that this generous support solidifies the relationship between Johannesburg and Britain, and further advances the Prosperity Fund’s Global Future Cities Programme,” said Makhubo.