Speaking at the signing of a co-operation agreement between the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality and the Alfred Nzo Municipality on Tuesday, September 16, Clr Gungubele said it was critical that the relationship between these municipalities be formalised for the benefit of the people they serve.
“We are preparing for the annual commemoration of the life and times of Oliver Tambo and we know that this great leader sacrificed all he had so that as South Africans, we could have a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous country. We therefore owe it to him to take his legacy of a better life for all forward and make sure that his spirit lives on,” said Clr Gungubele.
He said the big challenge is realising what they are submitting to.
“We are submitting to the footsteps of giants, meaning we are committing to live and lead our people like them. Be that as it may, we shall succeed with commitment and dedication no matter how difficult this may seem,” said Clr Gungubele.
His sentiments were shared by the Alfred Nzo executive mayor, Clr Eunice Diko, who added that her region was excited about the partnership and was looking forward to a productive and healthy relationship between all role-players.
“We all have an obligation to preserve the history of our political icons. These are our forefathers of the struggle and we owe it to our younger generations to share their history so that they never forget who we are and where we come from,” said Clr Gungubele.
Other partners in the deal are the OR Tambo District Municipality and the City of Lusaka in Zambia.
However, these municipalities could not attend the signing ceremony due to unforeseen circumstances.
These municipalities share a history as far as Tambo is concerned. The municipalities have committed to working together to, among other things, eradicate poverty and address inequality, promote programmes of mutual interest and development, share knowledge and skills in the area of service delivery and help each other in the area of institutional development to enhance service delivery in the two areas. Other areas of focus include heritage conservation and the geographic renaming of strategic areas, cultural exchange, development of tourism products and policy development. Special attention will also be given to the fight against HIV and aids, expanding health care services to communities and paying attention to issues of safety and security in general.
