Accelerating service delivery to the residents of Ekurhuleni, seems to be the top priority for the Ekurhuleni councillors who were recently sworn in office for the fourth administration of Ekurhuleni.
Of note is that Mayor of Ekurhuleni, Mzwandile Masina, said they’ve undertaken to replace 1700 leaking and old water meters; kick start the process of establishing a power station; tar 50 streets and refurbish 7km of road.
Masina offered condolences to the families of the people who died in the recent flash floods which devastated various parts of the country mainly Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and the Eastern Cape.
“In Ekurhuleni alone, we lost eight people in separate incidents all linked to the floods. May their souls rest in peace. “Hundreds more lost their belongings as their properties – mainly informal structures – were flooded. In some instances, some houses suffered structural damages. Indeed, the storm was extreme, hence the destruction it caused.
“As usual, our well-trained disaster and emergency services team sprang into action and established a joint operation centre, from which we were able to monitor the situation and render assistance where necessary.
“The team invited various stakeholders including Gift of the Givers, the Red Cross, Gauteng and National Government Departments, the SAPS – and other non-governmental organisations to get involved.
“The team must be commended for ensuring the safety of those who found themselves trapped in the storm, while continuing to discharge their normal duties,” Masina said.
Masina said 73 people who were displaced in Ulana informal settlement in Boksburg, were provided temporary shelter and emergency relief in the form of blankets, food and counselling.
“I must however, point out that in most instances where we offered temporary shelter, the victims refused the offer – preferring to remain at their properties, for fear of losing their remaining belongings.”
He continued to say that the metro will now be able to tap into provincial resources to assist rebuilding and normalise the lives of those of our people, who became victims of the flash floods.
“Over a week ago, various municipal departments submitted their financial needs to the provincial government, so that we can address the damage caused by the floods to municipal infrastructure as well.
“Meanwhile, you’ll be glad to know that our roads department has already spent R64m in the past couple of weeks, upgrading our storm water drainage system – especially in areas prone to flooding, to minimise the impact of the floods on residents.
“It’s at times like these that we get to witness the output of our Emergency Training Facility, at the Leon Ferreira Fire Station in Boksburg. This facility continues to produce quality men and women who’ve repeatedly demonstrated great determination in discharging their duties – plus saving lives and property,” he said.
On another note, the mayor said the metro needs to create mechanisms of wealth transfer, that can give the black majority meaningful control and productivity.
He said South Africa’s economy is facing structural challenges that limit our capacity to create enough jobs and enough revenue, to facilitate the kind of social transformation that people need.
He stated that Ekurhuleni is one such region with relatively established industrial infrastructure, but low levels of private sector investment in developing industrial assets.
In terms of the social cluster, he said the municipality undertook to initiate a number of projects including increasing the grant-in-aid; opening three new clinics; launching the e-Verification system for the capturing of indigents; the introduction of chronic medication distribution centres; and the release of land to the accredited faith-based organisations, plus improving recreational facilities.
“We further undertook to use the 100 days in office, to hand over 292 houses and 280 title deeds; acquire the house of the late liberation struggle icon Chris Hani for heritage purposes – and conduct crime operations in hotspot areas like Germiston, Kempton Park and Boksburg.
“The grant-in-aid kitty is increased from R10m to R100m, with immediate effect.
“Other success stories include the ‘Massive Open Online Courses’ programme that the Ekurhuleni libraries have launched, with the aim of viewing libraries at the institutions of higher learning.”
“We’ve finally launched our mobile app for service delivery, becoming the second municipality after eThekwini Municipality to introduce a full service solution.
“Through this easy to access and use app, our communities will now be able to report any service delivery problem via their cellphones.
“This automated system, through the EMIS system, will immediately direct the inquiry to the relevant department for intervention.”
“To the many of our people who’ll be hitting the road to various destinations during the festive season, we wish them a safe journey.
“Remember that speed and fatigue kill. Adhere to the rules of the road and be patient with other road users. I wish all the people of Ekurhuleni a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year,” Masina concluded.
