Charles Molele
During his 2020 State of the City Address, executive mayor Mzwandile Masina unveiled plans to turn Ekurhuleni – a metro forged out of a collection of small mining and industrial towns, into a historic city of the new world.
Masina has promised to pour billions of rands into mega commercial development projects, part of the metro’s Aerotropolis Master Plan and the ‘big ideas and focused development agenda’.
The development will see more affordable housing in Ekurhuleni, a botanical garden, ‘super-highways’, Ekurhuleni International Convention Centre, a Formula 1 race track and a Disney Africa.
This has proven that once again Masina has a long term view of development and was not only interested in pomp and ceremony, and cutting the ribbon at sod turning ceremonies.
He dismissed with a shrug critics who say he is ‘day-dreamer’ who focused too much on large developments that go to favoured builders and ‘tenderpreneurs’.
“Dreaming is part of life. We live through dreams,” said Masina in an interview with Inside Education, adding that these projects were part of private and public partnerships.
“We are engaging the private sector on these projects. Ekurhuleni cannot just be a scrap yard city. No. We will not remain a shanty town of body shops or a small mining town. We are going to build a Casino City of our dreams; a Formula 1 race track, Disney Africa and a university. It’s not just dreams. It’s possible.”
Masina said the city should never stop these ambitious dreams, which were aimed at transforming Ekurhuleni into one of the most exciting cities of the world.
“We are inventing the future,” said Masina.
The irrepressible mayor said the construction of Disney Africa, the Formula 1 race track and the Ekurhuleni International Convention Centre formed part of the Aerotropolis Master Plan.
“Our plan is to grow and develop the economy, create job opportunities and aid skills development,” he said.
“Disney Africa in the City of Ekurhuleni will serve as a world-class entertainment centre, drastically increasing tourism domestically, whilst attracting tourists from other African countries and the rest of the world. The City has the capacity to implement a project of this nature, as it will leverage off the existing world-class infrastructure, such as the OR Tambo International Airport, the Gautrain, prime residential estates, glitzy entertainment venues, mega shopping malls and recreational facilities.”
Since Masina took office, development became the buzzword.
He believed that if you create new opportunities for developers the private sector will come on board and invest.
Major construction projects doubled since he took office, resulting in affordable housing, roads, storm water, real estate and other signature infrastructure projects.
In his address, Masina welcomed the support he received from Department of Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande and President Cyril Ramaphosa in the construction of the OR Tambo University of Science and Innovation, a life-long dream in the region.
“The feasibility study and business plan is also completed and will be handed as a package to the relevant department. We have also secured through donation [of] a 43-hectare piece of land, to locate the university, from a private developer around Germiston- Boksburg area,” he said.
Reflecting on the journey traveled over the past 20 years, Masina said the success of Ekurhuleni today could not only be credited to him alone, saying it was forged by the long-term development view of his predecessors, who were better suited to lead the city in tough times by embracing development as a stimulus tool.
“This growth is a source both of challenge and of opportunity. Above all, it is a stamp of approval on the work that has been done over the last 20 years – work that is geared towards building a local economy that grows in the hands of the people through sustainable investments and strategic partnerships with the private sector and civil society,” said Masina.
“The City of Ekurhuleni that was inherited by our first-ever mayor, the late Ambassador Bavumile Vilakazi, is not the same City that we find ourselves in. Ambassador Vilakazi and his successors, namely Honourable Duma Nkosi, Honourable Ntombi Mekgwe and Honourable Mondli Gungubele, inherited a City confronted with significant challenges arising from our history of separate development … Merging these historically fragmented locales into one City, the democratic government succeeded in undermining the legacy of separate development that had made it improbable to bring about meaningful material change in the lives of the oppressed majority, who to this day continue to navigate the difficulties informed by that legacy.”
The municipality recently received a second unqualified audit from the Auditor-General, and Masina attributes this to proper management of finances by Ekurhuleni.
He said the city did not incur fruitless and wasteful and unauthorised expenditure in the 2017-18 financial year, and continued to display a commitment to good governance and accountability.
“We will continue to cut irregular expenditure and maintain a zero-tolerance approach to fruitless, wasteful and unauthorised expenditure,” said Masina.
“Good governance allows the City to attract much-needed investment, which will allow us to grow economic activity in the City of Ekurhuleni. We are committed to implementing the AG’s recommendations expeditiously. The City remains committed to transparency, accountability and clean governance.”
