Sun City-like town proposed by Mayor
This is no April Fool's joke – The Mayor is looking to make Rand West City a major attraction destination by 'bringing Sun City here'.
Proposing a Sun City-like Westonaria for the future was one of the major shocks announced during this year’s State of the City Address (Soca) held in the council chambers on Friday, 24 March.
According to Mzi Khumalo, the Rand West City Local Municipality Executive Mayor, the vision is to create an investor-friendly city with constant economic growth through rural and agricultural development, enterprise development, and supporting business retention and expansion and attraction.
As Khumalo put it to council, he “will bring Sun City to Westonaria” with a number of proposed projects and facilities which include an action mini golf course, balloon safaris, botanical gardens, a business centre, conference facilities catering for 1 000 people, a cultural village and museum (to be known as Amampondo), a four-star hotel with gym, a super-dome for entertainment, parasailing, restaurants, a jazz club, a theatre and a ‘valley of waves’.
Khumalo said the council has sought the assistance of the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA) with a view to finding lasting solutions to disputes within the community. MISA initiated investigations and the matter is said to be completed.
Prior to his maiden Soca for the Rand West City Local Municipality as a single entity, Khumalo was interrupted by members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) who wanted answers with regard to the his orders to the police to shoot the people of Zenzele who held a service delivery demonstration recently.
A scuffle followed, and a number of EFF members were removed from the chambers. Khumalo said he had no power to order police to shoot protesting community members, and had instead engaged with them on genuine concerns about matters that affected them as residents.
Khumalo then continued with his speech, requesting a momentary reflection on the loss of lives in the Life Esidimeni tragedy. He reminded his audience that the town had been under the spotlight, as it had housed the Centre, and went on to appeal to the community to abstain from using the tragedy as a political football, given the immense loss suffered by the affected families. “May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” he said.
He then emphasised the need for the residents of the area to work together to deepen and entrench a culture of human rights and reject any form of discrimination, including xenophobia, religious intolerance and prejudicial treatment on the basis of sexual orientation.
Khumalo continued, saying that our young democracy is constrained both by global pressures and local weaknesses, and our economy is not growing at the rate required to decisively tackle unemployment, inequality and poverty. He remarked that public finances are under strain at all levels of government, thus limiting the scope for further social spending and increased infrastructure investment.
“As the elected representatives of our communities,” he said, “we share a collective responsibility to innovatively find solutions to these challenges. We thus have a responsibility to realise the vision of a just, democratic and equal society.”
If we are to overcome the challenges we face, we must root our unity in a genuine and shared commitment to the values of our Constitution and an unwavering determination to serve the interests of the people – the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised – above all else”.
He said further that he was confident that the city has the means, the ability and the commitment to build a united council based on the principles of honesty, integrity and justice for all. We [the council members] are leaders and servants in the sphere of government closest to the people and their challenges and aspirations in respect of societal well-being in the future. This places the responsibility to transform our communities and change the lives of our people squarely on council’s shoulders.
“Our people have elected us because they trust us and have confidence in our ability to lead and to transform their communities and their lives. They also have confidence that we will use the assets and resources under our custodianship prudently, prioritize development and work tirelessly to advance their interests. Undoubtedly we have wonderful stories of councillors who have displayed impressive commitment to their duties and responsibilities. Councillors who remain connected to the people they represent. Councillors who know the challenges and problems our people face. Councillors who work diligently for our people. When local communities see us practically attending to service delivery issues, electrifying their houses, tarring rural roads and their homes connected to running water, they are assured that local government is hard at work.”
“Our primary responsibility as this council”, said the Mayor, “is to ensure that all directorates of the municipality serve all of our people all of the time, cherish their aspirations, answer their calls for a responsive and people-oriented local government and galvanise excellent service delivery. We need to forge partnerships with our communities, business, organised labour and civil society to mobilise resources and ensure effective collaboration.”
One of the successful cooperative efforts between the WRDM and the Provincial Department of Health has provided expanded health services to the community, in the form of the recently opened ML Pessen Clinic in Randfontein.
“We are seeking creative ways that can only be limited by our imagination of removing the barriers that were created by apartheid and a regulatory framework which stifle initiative, cooperation and efficient resource use.”
We are building a City that will be skilled at mobilizing a broad section of society behind their people-centred vision that is capable and developmental because it invest in the organizational and technical capacity of its administrations to effectively implement pro-poor policies.”
Mayor Khumalo also said the issue of the slow pace of construction of houses in Rand West City has been addressed. He reported that through the Expanded Public Works Programme and other municipal initiatives, 612 job opportunities had been created and 412 SMMEs had received support. In partnership with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlement, they are currently constructing 6 500 houses in Westonaria and 1 000 houses in Mohlakeng Extension 11.
The Syferfontein mega project, that will provide up to 60 000 housing units and radically transform housing and spatial planning, will be launched by MEC Paul Mashatile and handed over to the City. Funding has been obtained from the Gauteng Department of Human Settlement, and land in several areas has been purchased, although valuation is yet to be undertaken. The Droogeheuwel bulk water supply project, which is needed in light of the Syferfontein development, is in progress, and an amount of R40,5 million has been allocated to it.
Khumalo also announced that the council has appointed technical experts to deal with the informal settlements in Zenzele and Bekkersdal, with the aim of establishing the suitability of housing development in the area. The council is engaging with the communities there, particularly in Zenzele, in order to address their concerns amicably, although it is deeply concerned by the violent manner in which some residents raised their grievances. He said the council subscribes to the politics of the late Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela, i.e. politics of engagement and dialogue, and would not tolerate anarchy and acts of barbarism.
He said further that the envisaged Property Management Company should become part of the West Rand District Agency (WRDA) and assist the municipality in managing land matters in the area. The WRDA needs to be capacitated in order to assist the city with the efficient management of public facilities such as Riebeeck Lake and Donaldson Dam.
Khumalo then listed a number of other initiatives the council had undertaken, among them the Father and Kids fun walk event at the Ace Ntsoelengoe Stadium in Mohlakeng in September 2016; a Fun Walk at Toekomsrus in October; and the extension of the Pikitup contract for another year as ending the contract would have had a negative impact on service delivery, refuse removal and eradication of illegal dumping in Westonaria/ Bekkersdal.
In November 2016, the council provided support to the family of a four-year-old child who died tragically from food poisoning in the OR Tambo Informal Settlement, and provided several disabled community members in Ward 5 with wheelchairs in October.
Also in November, a Youth in Fashion, Food, Arts and Culture Indaba was hosted by the Office of the Executive Mayor and reached out to youth from all across Rand West City, and a Mayoral Youth interaction took place, with 12 local young people leaving for Germany to further their studies. Furthermore, the Mayoral Bursary Trust Fund issued 722 application forms to prospective students and received 256 completed forms from the applicants. In addition, the West Rand District was once again the best performing area in Gauteng in respect of the 2016 matric results.
The council has also drastically improved the Audit Outcomes of the two former municipalities of Westonaria and Randfontein, moving them from an adverse finding in 2015 to an unqualified audit outcome in 2016.
Khumalo concluded his address by saying, “No task must be too great and no resident’s concern too trivial. We want councillors that are worthy of the trust the people have placed in them. After all, you are the voice of our people. You are the champions of their interests. You are their chosen representatives and their loyal servants. We are here to change the status quo, and change it radically, thus overhauling, changing and acting. One Plan. One System. One Action.”
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