2015 SOTA: Mayor full of hope despite challenges
'Working together the solution".
Newly elected Randfontein Executive Mayor Mzi Khumalo in his maiden State of the Town Address was positive about the town overcoming its challenges.
“We will not turn away from our challenges; we must confront them boldly and with hope. We have to do more with less; we have to work harder and smarter. The challenges we have can easily be attended to through constant engagement with our communities and public participation,” Khumalo said addressing many members of council, guests and the community.
While Khumalo acknowledged the good achieved by the municipality he also admitted to the bad and ugly.
He said informal housing has grown and the municipality has achieved the following:
• In Badirile Phase 1 and 2: Constructed 692 low-cost housing units of which 570 units have been allocated to beneficiaries and 150 units were refurbished
• In Badirile Extension 1: 152 houses is scheduled for completion before the end of the current financial year
• In Mohlakeng Extension 11 Phase 1: 570 low-cost housing units were built and allocated to beneficiaries; in Phase 2: 420 houses were completed and the process of allocation is under way. More houses will be built.
“A new township will be established in Droogeheuwel,” he said.
30 of the 90 new RDP houses in Mohlakeng have been completed and are ready for allocation to beneficiaries.
Although he described mining as the main economic driver of the Randfontein area he admitted it is on the decline.
Khumalo said “We are called upon to bring innovative ideas that will stimulate economic viability within our town” and call that government departments, private sector and state owned enterprises buy products from township enterprises, cooperatives and SMMEs.
“The strategic long-term vision is to renew the economy of the townships and bring township residents into the mainstream of the economy.”
Khumalo was also adamant to improve the image of the town to attract investors.
By attracting investors Khumalo said construction of a mini shopping centre in Mohlakeng is commencing this month. The value is said to be around R15 million (1st phase) with around 80 temporary jobs created; upon construction 60 permanent jobs will be created.
As part of the transformation of the agricultural sector, which constitutes 15 per cent of the land in Randfontein and to ensure food security, the municipality will inject R6 million into the Randfontein milling facility.
Regarding service delivery Khumalo said, “We want to demystify any unaccounted fact that the municipality has not changed the quality of life of our residents.
“We electrified 574 RDP houses in Mohlakeng Ext 11; secured 120 pillar boxes in greater Randfontein and we developed a new bulk station at Mohlakeng Ext 11. We further replaced redundant mega-volt feeder cables in greater Randfontein as well as retrofitted 4000 energy-efficient street light fittings at Wheatlands, Loumarina and Bootha smallholdings. We refurbished overhead networks in Toekies and we upgraded the switching station.”
In the next few years, the municipality will invest in replacing ageing electricity infrastructure with new technology in and around smallholdings in Mohlakeng and Toekies.
“We further electrified 30 renovated family units at Mohlakeng hostel, installed 12 high-mast lights in the greater Randfontein and reduced existing energy loss from 27 per cent to 12 per cent to date.”
Regarding the state of the roads Khumalo declared war on potholes adding the town’s roads are not at an optimal level to attract mega investment.
“As part of renewing the contract with the people and accelerating service delivery to declare war on potholes.”
In terms of money spent Khumalo said, “Over the last four years R22 million was spent on rehabilitation of our roads and fixing potholes in the areas of our town, namely Mohlakeng, Toekomsrus, Finsbury, CBD, Aureus, Homelake and Randgate, whilst R2 million was utilized for the installation of a storm water drainage system. The municipality also installed storm-water curb inlets to the value of R3 million. Gravelling of roads in informal settlements and agricultural holdings was done including Mohlakeng and Badirile.”
Regarding water meters Khumalo stated, “We have replaced and relocated water meters in Randfontein for R900 000, and installed a new effluent pipe at Badirile for R500 000. Sewer network pipes have been upgraded at Mohlakeng Extension 4 for R1 million. In addition, the Toekomsrus sewer pump station was upgraded for R400 000. The Badirile pipeline upgrade is practically completed. The municipality is in the process of installing water meters at Badirile and Mohlakeng Extension 11.”
Khumalo was also proud to announce that since 2010, “This municipality has achieved blue drop certification (silver status for more than 2 years). We will continue to put standards that will maintain this achievement.”
To the community of Randfontein Khumalo said “In our quest to achieve a non-racial, non-sexist, united and prosperous South Africa, three strategic objectives must be attended to in order to realise the national democratic society.”
The three interrelated strategic objectives are class, race and gender.
On race, he said “In our quest for a non-racial society, the municipality should in conjunction with the descendants of Italians, Portuguese, Greeks and Jews celebrate their national days. We must further initiate a forum where our Afrikaner, coloured and Indian communities could be introduced to the importance and significance of our national days. This will be the first step of understanding the environment of Randfontein better and inculcate the spirit of togetherness.”
On gender, Khumalo said, “We must treat women as if they are the last soul on earth.”
On class, he said, “Randfontein remains a town in which our relationships continue to be defined by race. We are of the view that social development should bring programmes that relate these two diametrical races.”
Khumalo admitted to the municipality failing to obtain a clean audit outcome for the past few years and emphasised the municipality must obtain a clean audit outcome for the 2014/ 2015 financial year.
Commenting on the financial burden facing the municipality, Khumalo said “To relieve the financial burden on the downtrodden, indigent debt was written off and the municipality has taken a decision that in respect of all indigents on the municipal indigent register burial graves will be for free any day of the week.
“Indigents not on the municipal register also will be assisted, subject to the executive mayor’s discretion. As a municipality we have registered ± 7 000 indigent households.
“During the month of April, the municipality will review all policies that have a bearing on the budget including the current electricity rates, water rates, property rates, indigent policy, municipal by-laws and looking at the feasibility of considering the smart meter reading system with a purpose to mitigate electricity losses.”
Khumalo made it clear “the cornerstone of the economy lies with small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs” and the municipality “will not tolerate the abuse of SMMEs by our government.”
Khumalo urged the people of Randfontein to pay for services in good time.
The biggest headache currently facing the community is the announcement of Eskom’s plan to disconnect Randfontein and Westonaria.
“We are aware that the community has received a lot of negative reporting on the debt of the municipality towards Eskom. We are servicing our current monthly debt well; we pay on time as required. We do acknowledge that there are arrears, which must be serviced. Subsequently we have entered into a payment arrangement we will review at the next council meeting to make it more realistic and achievable,” Khumalo responded.
“We have met with the National Treasury Department to review the decision of withholding the equitable share that was meant for Randfontein local municipality. We are pleased to announce the matter has received the necessary attention.”
Khumalo concluded on a positive note saying, “This speech has been crafted at a challenging but hopeful time. This period requires an extraordinary effort from role players, committed not to just identify barriers to progress, not just to proposing solutions but also working together, over the long haul.
“To members of the Mayoral Committee, over the next 10 months or more we will be working very hard as collectively we carry the hopes of the people of this town.
“To the opposition parties, we are in this together and have no option but to work for the collective betterment of our town.
“Lastly, to the political support staff in the office of the executive mayor, inform your wives, husbands and partners that for the next 10 months your service is dedicated to improving the lives of the people of Randfontein.”
