It is a time to spend with family, friends and loved ones.
It is a time to love, to give and a time to reflect on the year that was, while planning for the year ahead.
In a religious light, this is the time celebrated as the birth of The Lord Jesus Christ.
As the community celebrates the festive season in their own unique ways, we must never lose sight of the fact that not everyone is as fortunate and, therefore, those more fortunate should take a moment and share with those who are less fortunate.
Ekurhuleni is a socially mature city and I, therefore, do not have any doubt in my mind that we shall strive for a joyous, peaceful and merry festive season.
The government of Ekurhuleni and I thank the people of Ekurhuleni for the way they have carried themselves throughout the year.
Indeed, we faced challenges, but all said and done, we worked well together.
We are not perfect as a municipality, but we do know that working closely with the people of Ekurhuleni will help us reach our goals.
To our staff, indeed, we tried our best to deliver much-needed services to our people.
We succeeded in some areas, but could not in others.
Despite this though, there is plenty of room for improvement and, after you take a much-needed break, 2014 will surely bring many opportunities and challenges.
We, as the people of the metro, must be ready to pounce on the opportunities while, at the same time, showing great vigilance to the challenges that lie ahead.
For those who will be taking long trips this festive season, we wish safe journeys.
Please adhere to the rules of the road, respect other motorists and pedestrians and, most of all, arrive alive.”
