Johnathan Paoli and Kgalalelo Setlhare
Newly-elected mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza outlined what he called a new era for the city, including job creation, road and transportation construction, water and sewage improvements and drives to improve safety and battle crime.
This was Xhakaza’s maiden State of the City Address (SOCA), following his election as Executive Mayor a little over two weeks ago. He delivered his address on Tuesday in Germiston, on what the metro has achieved and future plans going forward.
The Mayor emphasised the importance of job creation and outlined plans to stimulate employment opportunities within the city.
Making reference to the Nasi Ispani programme of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Xhakaza said 16 000 jobs will be created, and 4 300 positions will be opened for young people in the Youth Skills Development, with the first cohort of 1400 beneficiaries being released next month.
A significant focus was placed on the construction of proper roads, housing, water systems, and sanitation to improve living standards.
“The billions we have channeled into infrastructure development over the years was a deliberate move because we understand that proper roads, a reliable electricity grid and uninterrupted water supply are the cornerstones of making our city more livable while being the best place to invest and do business,” Xhakaza said.
The address included discussions on energy solutions to ensure a stable and sustainable supply for the city’s needs.
Mayor Xhakaza spoke about improving the city’s finances and addressing the concerns regarding service delivery and improvements in transportation were highlighted as a priority to enhance mobility and economic growth.
The Mayor said the rollout of governmental initiatives such as the Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) and Harambee would facilitate the construction of additional dedicated bus lanes, street lights, curbside stops and walkways.
“We will be acquiring 24 additional buses to expand the Harambee footprint throughout the metro, and the refurbishment of the public transport system,” Xhakaza said.
He praised the metro’s Blue Drop award from the Department of Water and Sanitation for the best water to drink in the country, but emphasised the need to continue this provision with reliable infrastructure.
And he called for a renewal of municipality efforts to engage parts of Ekurhuleni who are still experiencing water problems and poor or nonexistent sanitation facilities.
“The massive infrastructure rollout will also stabilize the flow of water in high-lying areas like Tsakani, Duduza, Primrose, and others, which have been the worst hit by water issues in the recent past,” he said.
The metro’s plan to reclaim buildings within the Germiston central business district that have been hijacked in order for repurposing were also unveiled at the SOCA.
“Just here in Germiston we are faced with a huge challenge of hijacked buildings. Mainly around the Dumisani Masilela Theater, an area which has become foreign in our own space,” Xhakaza said.
A serious clean-up campaign of the CBD was not negotiable and the chief of police and his team have received a briefing and was expected to conduct immediate action, Xhakaza said.
He also highlighted the need for a concerted effort to fight crime within the metro, including the sale of drugs and human trafficking and said that he believed that most of the criminals behind the rise in hijacking of buildings were undocumented foreign nationals.
“These operations must be carried out by a multi-disciplinary by-law enforcement team which will also include the South African Police Services and Home Affairs”.
In addition, Xhakaza presented the city’s intentions to work hard in order to ensure the safety of women and children in its communities and said that gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) was a priority for the municipality.
“We recognise that GBVF is part of our social contract and therefore we believe that we can eliminate this pandemic if we work with both survivors and perpetrators,” he said.
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