Ekurhuleni is a better place to live

The executive mayor of Ekurhuleni Clr Mondli Gungubele, in his opening of the State of the City address (SoCa) said: “ I dedicate our State of the City address to the heroes and heroines of the struggle that gave birth to what we now share – our united, democratic, non-racial and nonsexist South Africa, of which we are all proud”.

As residents we so often think of everything that is wrong and seldom take the time to proud be of our achievements as citizens of Ekurhuleni and South Africa. The mayor presented a collection of reasons why we should be proud residents of our City – all three million of us that call Ekurhuleni home.

The theme of the SoCa was “Strengthening Social Maturity by Advancing Social Cohesion in Pursuit of a Prosperous and, therefore, Livable City”.

This is the same theme under which the mayor made his speech last year, because, as a local government, we remain convinced of the continued relevance of this theme.

The speech was filled with comments and input from residents that sent in their requests on the Sate of the City to the mayor.

I relished in the way that residents’ inputs shaped the mayor’s approach to the State of the City and I see this as a sign of political maturity in our democracy.

The mayor showcased improved services in health and emergencies, as well as highlighting Ekurhuleni’s achievements since the 2013 State of the City address. The mayor is aiming to bridge the gap on access by all communities to the local public service and improved service delivery.

Ekurhuleni is truly a better place to live in today than what it was in 1994.

The mayor was very critical of areas of improvement and committed that councillors and officials will work tirelessly in 2014 to make Ekurhuleni an even better place, by realising the mandate to create a better life for all.

E-mail me directly on Diamond.Neil@ekurhuleni.gov.za with your comments.

Let’s build better communities.