There was a time in South Africa when cities were on the up and up. Hillbrow, for one, was known as the place to be – where one would find the best restaurants, the most beautiful buildings with the most iconic landmarks. At present, however, Hillbrow much like many other key nodes in the country has turned out to be amongst the most unsafe, unclean, and drug-riddled parts of the city centre, which is showing evident signs of urban decay. It is understood that rapid urbanisation, economic disparities, and infrastructural limitations have collectively contributed towards the deterioration of urban areas across the country. In this conversation, we speak to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on COGTA & Human Settlements about their oversight work on issues on municipal governance and responses towards combatting urban decay in the province of Gauteng. Governance Expert and Research Fellow at the University of the Free State Dr Harlan Cloete joins Morio Sanyane for the conversation.