{"id":240190,"date":"2020-03-26T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T04:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/240190\/mayor-highlights-20-years-of-achievements\/"},"modified":"2020-03-26T08:27:04","modified_gmt":"2020-03-26T06:27:04","slug":"mayor-highlights-20-years-of-achievements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2020\/03\/26\/mayor-highlights-20-years-of-achievements\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor highlights 20 years of achievements"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ekurhuleni\u2019s executive mayor Clr Mzwandile Masina delivered his State of the City Address at the Germiston Council Chambers on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s SOCA was under the theme \u2018two decades of service delivery and building a local economy that grows in the hands of the people\u2019.<\/p>

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The mayor reflected on what the city has achieved in the past 20 years and shared his plans for the year ahead.<\/p>\n

He also shared his dreams for the city.<\/p>

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ALSO READ: Cable upgrade to help stabilise power supply in Albemarle and Dinwiddie<\/a><\/h4>\n

He said Ekurhuleni is a polycentric city which requires innovative space developmental strategies and governance structures of a special type in order to meet the circumstances of a rigorous transformation of the physical structure and spatial patterns.<\/p>\n

Masina said since his term, they have been guided by the mandate of the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur people mandated us to provide them with decent housing, proper access roads and quality services. They asked us to tackle corruption and expand health-care services, among others.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people further appealed to us to, among other things, ensure that we make informal settlements more liveable so that we restore human dignity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe heard this mandate and came up with a pro poor programme aimed at fast-tracking and sustaining service delivery,\u201d said Masina.<\/p>\n

The following stood out in his speech:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Since the beginning of this term of office, a number of informal settlements were added to the electrification programme and by June this year, a total of 22 000 homes will be connected bringing the total number of households connected to the grid since the year 2000 to 93 000.<\/p>\n

\u2022 In a quest to minimise the threat to people becoming victims of crime, they have rolled out 3 646 streetlights across the city and 295 high mast lighting, mainly in previously disadvantaged areas and new establishments.<\/p>\n

\u2022 In the new financial year, they will finalise the implementation of the city\u2019s programme to purchase electricity from the appointed power producers.<\/p>\n

A total of 46 companies have already been awarded a tender to generate additional energy for the city.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Aqua Leap Programme, which aims to address the security of water supply, is on track.<\/p>\n

The city has embarked on a programme to construct 29 reservoirs and towers simultaneously, this to the tune of R1.2-billion.<\/p>\n

One of these will be the biggest on the continent and among the biggest in the world.<\/p>\n

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Executive mayor Mzwandile Masina and dignitaries prepare for the State of the City Address at the Germiston Council Chambers on Wednesday.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It will be commissioned by the end of June 2020.<\/p>\n

\u2022 In response to the waste collection challenge a new five-year waste collection contract will soon be advertised with new improved features aimed at increasing efficiency.<\/p>\n

The contract will cover eight broad areas and is aimed at improving the metro\u2019s services.<\/p>\n

\u2022 They will continue to provide innovative ways for health care.<\/p>\n

They have recently introduced 11 Pele boxes at different clinics, over and above the 115 chronic medication pick-up points.<\/p>\n

The Pele Box Smart Locker Facility is the first and only one of its kind in Africa.<\/p>\n

Among the clinics that already have operational facilities in the city are Germiston, Winnie Mandela, Phola Park, Phillip Moyo and Daveyton Main Clinic.<\/p>\n

They are in the process of launching additional five Pele Box facilities at J Dumane, eSangweni, eThafeni and Tsakane.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The city has secured, through a donation a 43-hectare piece of land from a private developer in the Germiston\/Boksburg area, to locate the university.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The mayor also shared his dreams for the city, namely Disney Africa, Formula One racing and a convention centre.<\/p>\n

The mayor said the city has come a long way since its birth.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite the many hardships we may have come across it gives me great pleasure to share some of the key highlights of the past 20 years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ: Men need to take a stand and make a difference<\/a><\/h4>\n

The achievements are:<\/p>\n

\u2022 The former Johannesburg International Airport was renamed OR Tambo International Airport.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Established a single city identity.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Conferred the Freedom of the City to OR and Adelaide Tambo and Chris Hani.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Establishment of the EMPD and training academy.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Introduced the Integrated Public Transport Network system.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Unified the town planning scheme.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Twenty customer care centres rolled out and actioned throughout the city.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Migrated from the provision of houses to the establishment of human settlements.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Increased the bursary package from R10-million to R100-m.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Consolidated the labour relations policy.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Chris Hani\u2019s house purchased with the intent to convert it into a museum.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Sam Ntuli, Chris Hani and Oliver Tambo\u2019s graves declared national heritage sites, among others.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Introduced the anti-fraud hotline.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Introduced My Ekurhuleni service delivery app.<\/p>\n

Hav<\/strong>e a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)\u00a0<\/span>germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za,<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)\u00a0<\/span>leighh@caxton.co.za\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>or Busi Vilakazi (Journalist)\u00a0busiv@caxton.co.za.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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