Programme Director, Honourable MEC for Community Safety, Executive Mayor of Sedibeng: Cllr Mahole Mofokeng, Mayors, Speakers, Chiefwhips, Members of the Mayoral Committee, Municipal Manager of Emfuleni Mr Sam Shabalala and the senior management team, The leadership of the African National Congress, The leadership of the civic movement as represented by Sanco, The leadership of the Evaton Urban Renewal, Religious leaders, Community members, The business fraternity, Our distinguished guests, The reigning Miss Emfuleni: Miss Lerato Mokoena, Friends from the media, Ladies and gentlemen

Dumelang

Introduction

Today marks a historic achievement. This day signifies the fulfilment of a contract we concluded with our people. This is a practical step of a peoples’ contract to create a better life.

This is the fulfilment of the undertaking we made in response of the peoples’ mandate.

We did not wake up and decide to erect a fire station. We came to the community of Evaton. We were instructed by the community that the people of Evaton and the surrounding areas need a fire station. We listened.

Today we are here to officially handover this station to the people of Evaton as a sign of our commitment towards people driven development.

We lost our beloved ones because of fire. There was no help a hand. Our people cried for help and we listened.

Today serves as a testimony that we are a caring government that highly carries the hopes and aspirations of our people.

Most importantly, however is that we listened to the loud cries of our people.

This spurned us into action. These actions and the fulfilment of the contract that we entered into with our people confirms our conviction that the people shall govern.

This is a further confirmation that our legitimacy and authority to lead and deliver is based upon the will of the people.

We gather here today to officially open and hand over this gigantic facility to its rightful owners, our communities. This fire station should remain our pride and asset that needs to be looked after and used maximally for our benefit.
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During the last local government elections, it is your vote and voice that defined and continues to define our government as a peoples’ government that is responsive to the needs of our people.

Those who are truthful to these good deeds as we all witness today, will contradict those who say our government is not caring.

Today we bear witness to our conviction that the people shall and that no government can claim legitimacy unless it is based upon the will of people.

Our deeds were confirmed by the hand over of RDP houses in Lakeside and Tshepong.

There are still a lot of us waiting for houses. As a caring government we are still committed to that cause.

Our streets and street lights will be upgraded through the Evaton Urban Renewal, the Municipal Infrastructure Grant and other sources of funding.

For these to be achieved, we call upon our people to pay for their services.

We call upon our people to jealously guard against those who peddle lies and masquerade as true representatives of our people whilst advocating politics of violence and destruction of state property.

We call upon our people to report those who sell RDP houses. We call upon our people to refrain from buying these houses. These houses are not for sale. They are free and will remain free. These houses are only meant for those who are on the waiting list.

We are aware that there are those who are allocated these houses yet rent them to the needy. This is crime and those who are involved in these acts should be exposed and arrested.

Whilst we pride ourselves that a lot has been done we further recognize that we still have a lot of challenges to surmount.

A lot still needs to be done and that will be done.

This station will respond to dire situations of fire. Its services will be discharged by dedicated women and men who will ensure that a call of fire is responded to within seven (7) minutes.  The response time in other areas outside Evaton will be twenty minutes.

We have one fire station in Vereeniging, one in Vanderbijlpark and a satellite in Sebokeng. Gone are the days that massive infrastructure development and investment is concentrated in the cities.

Our services should be next to where will live, they should be within a walking distance, closer to our people.

Our reconstruction and development programme should create jobs and restore the dignity of our people.

It is through the Mafatsane Thusong Centre our people should have access to all services. It is through the Evaton Police Station that we continue to fight crime.

It is through our partnership with the provincial government and the Evaton Urban Renewal that the Eastern Precinct will bear fruit.

Lind, West, Lerothodi roads and other roads will be upgraded at a faster pace.

This requires that our people exercise prudence and responsibility when using the access toll free number available for this service.

Hoax calls run into millions of rand and deprives a needy person of this service. The abuse of the centre and its vandalization will lead to loss of precious human life to those in a dire situation. It will lead to loss of limb and property.

This will be a reversal of the gains of our hard earned gains.

Over the past months our area was hit by massive rains that destroyed our houses and roads. We were able to give shelter to those who in need.

We have embarked on a programme to fix potholes and to cut grass, to celan our cemeteries and parks.

Local government elections

Our youth are an investment for the future. During the registration opportunity of the last weekend, there was a low turnout of young people.

Let us build our future by registering in the next phase in order to vote for the government of your choice.

Voting is not about adding to the numbers but shaping the future and dictating the pace of service delivery, job creation, reconstruction and development.

It is a weapon against poverty and unemployment. Register in order to vote.

The Independent Electoral Commission will be announcing the next date of registration. Get your ID from Home Affairs in order to register. It is your future let no one decide for you.

It is through the will of our Maker that one of our own, the late Mr. Rocky Senoamadi could not witness what was closer to his heart. His passion was fighting fire to save our lives.

I salute all fire men and our traffic division for ensuring that his departure matches the stature of a man who made this project a reality.

It is befitting to pay tribute to him and we so wish that he could have been with us to celebrate this milestone.

This achievement is the tireless work of the late ntate Mccamel and Tutu and the late Tutu Molefe.

We express our condolences to those who died as a result of the rains. As a caring municipality we have carried the whole expenses on their burial. Let us bow our heads as a tribute to the late Mthimkulu twins, Lebo and Lebohang who lost their lives. We share the grief with their families and may their souls rest in peace.

Let me express our gratitude to Miss Thandi Mgwevu and the entire Project Management Unit for overseeing the completion of this project.

We owe our gratitude to men and women who made the opening ceremony of this community event a magnificent and splendid one.

It is through their dedication and commitment that today we reap the fruits of our hard work for a better life.

Let us on behalf of the people of Emfuleni and the entire South Africa wish uTata Nelson Mandela a speedy recovery and a healthy life.

Having listened to you, on behalf of Council, we present to you your twenty to million rands asset which should remain the pride of Emfuleni.

Ke a leboha