Mzi Khumalo, Executive Mayor of the Rand West City Local Municipality (RWCLM) vows to restore confidence among the town’s people by addressing the basics of service delivery.
“We have committed our administration to ensuring that they get the basics right. Road markings must be clear, potholes must be filled within 72 hours as enshrined in our standard service delivery norms and standards, traffic lights must function, refuse is collected on scheduled days, illegal dumping sites are cleared, street and high-mast lights function properly and sewage running down on our streets are cleaned up,” were some of the promises made during his 2018 State of the Town Address (Soca) held in council on Friday, 20 April.
The Speaker, councillor Violet Nqina Mzondeki; Executive Mayor of the West Rand District Municipality (WRDM), councillor Boyce Maneli and Executive Mayors of Mogale City and the Merafong City Local Municipalities, councillors Naga Patrick Lipudi and Maphefo Mogale Letsie as well as chief whips, members of the mayoral committee were present. So were Brigadier Jacob Manamela, Randfontein Police station commander, chief of the Rand West City Traffic Department, Kenny Mamondo and DA ward councillors. None of the members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) was in attendance.
Khumalo started by naming a number of challenges during the early stages of the merger, such as those relating to salary disparities, labour unrest, permanent employment for contract workers, refuse collection and increasing illegal dumping.
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“The battling finances of the two previously independent Randfontein and Westonaria Local Municipalities posed a serious setback for the new entity. We literally inherited a non-financial viable institution,” Khumalo said.
He said poor collection of revenue for services, the declining economy of both areas and the high rate of unemployment besieged the city. “As a result, the municipality could not adequately budget for the maintenance of services in the manner it wanted to,” he explained.
Regarding housing, Khumalo went on say that besides the challenges confronting the newly merged municipality, 12 200 indigent households have been approved for the financial year. The monthly benefit will include 50kW of electricity, 6kl of water, burial sites, and refuse removal – all free of charge. They will also not pay property rates.
Although informal housing has grown, he said, in Mohlakeng Extension 11, Phase 1 was constructed and 570 low-cost housing units were built and allocated to beneficiaries. In Phase 2, 290 housing units are on the verge of completion and the process of being allocated. Further, at Mohlakeng Hostel Development, Phase 1 and 2, 68 units have been refurbished and allocated. “We are also looking at the use of waterless toilets at the hostel” he said.
“Over the last two years, 1 164 title deeds were issued to beneficiaries in Toekomsrus, 1 973 were issued in Mohlakeng and 918 were issued to the community of Westonaria Borwa.” He said MNS Attorneys has been appointed to audit all outstanding title deeds in Simunye and Bekkersdal to prioritise them.
“The municipality is in its first phase towards addressing the needs of churches and has identified sites in Mohlakeng, Simunye, Bekkersdal and Toekomsrus.
“Premier Makhura announced that the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements launched a housing project that will yield 13 000 housing units in Kocksoord. This projects is known as the Montrose Mega-City Project and will provide recreational facilities, a shopping centre, filling station, railway line, schools, a clinic and other features.
“Another new and modern housing development is earmarked for Thusanang informal settlement – the Thusanang Agri-Mining Mega Develoment Project – where in 5 330 housing units are to be built. The last three mega housing projects within Rand West City are taking shape.”
The Toekomsrus Extension 4 Mega Housing Development comprising a mixed housing development with housing units, schools, business centres, a clinic and social amenities is at an advance stage.
“I am optimistic that the community of Toekomsrus as the first line on the beneficiary list will cease to title themselves as the offspring of development in Rand West City. Their sense of being marginalised will be a thing of the past.”
“The second Mega Human Settlements Development, the Afri-Village Development in Greenhills as also making serious strides,” Mayor Khumalo continued.
The Dan Tloome Mega Human Settlement has also been approved and the municipality is awaiting the MEC of Human Settlements’ approval of the project. It will consist of 15 000 housing units with all amenities and business centres, and it will have land for a solar plant farm.
He said, “We have made major strides since the establishment of the democratic local government”.
Mayor Khumalo quoted Nelson Mandela and then went into some history regarding Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu and other political figures such as Chris Hani. He also paid tribute to the recently passed Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
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