The Ekurhuleni Metro’s mission statement says the following: “Ekurhuleni provides sustainable and people centred developmental services that are affordable, appropriate and of a high quality. We are focused on social, environmental and economic regeneration of our city and communities, as guided by the principles of Batho Pele and through the commitment of a motivated and dedicated team.”
Does anybody know what these words mean?
This statement is displayed in all municipal buildings.
So, let’s see how the metro shapes up. After all, this is their mission statement, informing everyone what they abide by — or don’t, in many cases.
Many of us know about sustainable and people-centred services – appointing (unqualified) cadres and ensuring there is a regular flow of (our) funds to themselves and buddies under dubious circumstances.
The government has made recent utterances on stamping out fraud and corruption.
Funny enough, the mayor and the municipal manager informed us recently about huge amounts of funds that disappeared under their watch.
So much for clean, transparent government and audits!
How about services that are affordable, appropriate and of high quality?
All I’ve experienced are annual municipal increases in excess of the inflation rate. To have burst pipes, street lights and potholes repaired, takes maybe months rather than days.
And then the metro states it is focused on social, environmental and economic regeneration of our cities and communities.
Wow, that’s a powerful statement! So, I refer to the Boksburg Lake – that’s an environmental catastrophe.
Add social to the mix and we have the indiscriminate drinking and drugs outside Wild Waters parties, plus litter!
Let’s drive around Boksburg, Germiston, Kempton Park and any other towns and check out the economic regeneration. Maybe it is misspelling and it should have been degeneration.
Industrial areas should now be referred as de-industrialised areas, compliments of metro incompetence
And then, on top of it all, what can I say about the metro talking about a motivated and dedicated team?
Hey, forget answering the ‘phones, it’s lunch time let’s take a break and have some lunch while the water flows down the streets.
Rather than being flippant, I refer to “motivated and dedicated” as ensuring overpriced tenders and dubious ventures allocated to the people with the right credentials.
Ekurhuleni is in a shocking state and getting worse every year. The only way to get a decent service from the local authorities is replace them and have a major clean-out.
