The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality’s (EMM) executive mayor, Clr Mondli Gungubele, said in the coming five years there will be no difference between the cities in Ekurhuleni.
Clr Gungubele was speaking during the launch of the night-shift central business district (CBD) programme hosted on Monday last week in Edenvale.
This is part of the Mayoral Clean City Programme.
About 60 permanent new employees were introduced to the media on the evening.
“The days of dirt-ridden CBDs in Ekurhuleni will now be a thing of the past. These employees will help eradicate dirt in our city,” he said.
Clr Gungubele said he met with his mayoral committee last year and agreed that they would take the cleanliness of Ekurhuleni to a higher level.
“This is partly because we are host to the busiest airport in Africa. Most elite tourists land at OR Tambo International Airport before go anywhere in the country. Ekurhuleni must give the best impression of the country,” he said.
He said four street sweeper trucks, to the value of R8-million, have been bought by the EMM. He said six more will be bought.
He said one street sweeper truck and 10 employees will be assigned to each CBD every night.
He said the cleanliness of Ekurhuleni will attract businesses to the city’s Aerotropolis.
“The aerotropolis is where the business is done around the airport. It depends on speed between the supplier and the receiver. There are businesses that want to invest in our city. No one wants to invest in a dirty city. We need to keep our city clean. By so doing, we will be able to negotiate for more man-power and more employment. Let’s go out there and do our job,” Clr Gungubele told the new recruits.
He said nightshift staff will be placed in CBDs near to where they are staying.
The executive mayor said the city is working with the community and businesses in this project.
The executive mayor said the pilot project started two years ago in Alberton, Germiston, Boksburg and Kempton Park.
