To a roaring cheer, Clr Mzwandile Masina, from the ANC, was named the executive mayor of the metro.
Masina was voted into the position during Ekurhuleni’s inaugural council meeting, held in the Germiston council chambers, yesterday (Tuesday).
“I am extremely humbled and honoured to stand before you today as the new executive mayor of Ekurhuleni,” he said to the crowds gathered outside the civic centre.
“Thank you for showing faith in me to run this maverick city and I promise that I shall do my best to ensure that ours is a good story to tell at all times.”
The new mayor identified 14 key areas as priority areas in the next five years, including:
- Improve service delivery and Capex spending.
- Electrification of all informal settlements, including the use of solar and other alternative power generation methods.
- Construction of 100 000 housing units.
- Provision of 59 000 serviced stands.
- Putting the Ekurhuleni university issue on the national agenda.
- Fast-tracking the upscaling of services in informal settlements.
- Investing in water infrastructure to ensure security of supply.
- Kick-starting the process of establishing our own power station in Ekurhuleni, backed by alternative and renewable energy sources.
- Fighting fraud and corruption.
- Building internal capacity to reduce outsourcing of key municipal services.
- Accelerating the piloting of 24-hour clinic services.
- Launching an app for communities to report service delivery challenges.
- Speeding up the BRT and Wi-Fi roll-out.
- Introduction of one mega arts and culture festival as a signature event for the city.
“We have come this far together and we can get even further if we continue working together for the betterment of the future of this unique city,” he said.
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