'A Year of Job Creation’

Speaker of Council: Madam Nomadlozi Greta Hlongwane, Chief Whip of Council: Cllr. Thembile Nquba, Members of the Mayoral Committee, Councillors, The Municipal Manager and members of the Senior Management Team, Officials of the municipality, Members of the community, Miss Emfuleni, Friends from the media, Ladies and gentlemen.

Dumelang

The distance between the 1st March 2006 and the 18th of May this year gets shorter by the day.

What we have done for our people during the past five years is a question that will be answered by our performance since assumption of our political mandate.

This mandate entails provision of basic services as an distinctive sphere of government as provided for by the constitution of the republic.

The local government white paper places responsibilities on the part of government as a strategic vehicle to drive Reconstruction and Development Programme.

It is on this basis that our people assume centrality and ownership of the socio-economic transformation agenda as part of the 5 key pillars underpinning the RDP.

Our political mandate is derived from the beginning of our long journey since 2006 under the theme “a plan to make local government-power to the people through democratic local government”.

The assessment of our performance and what we have done rests with our people who will on the 18th May 2011.

Madam Speaker and honourable members, we tabled and subjected both the Integrated Development Plan and Budget for public input and community participation.

Surely the 18th May 2011 will mark the beginning of another journey based on the contract we have entered with our people to create jobs and to eradicate hunger and starvation.

It marks a journey for job creation, poverty alleviation, the fight against crime, women abuse, HIV and AIDS.

However Madam Speaker, the remaining distance between these two historic points does not take away our responsibilities of continuing to be servants of our people until the last day.

With Vereeniging being in a state of shock, the deployment of our resources to fix streets lights, fill potholes and to cut grass is a continuation of our journey as part of the chapter of a five year journey to restore the dignity of our people.

An integrated service delivery programme is well underway in Vereeniging to address service delivery backlogs. This is in the areas of Voortrekker Street, Lewis Avenue, De Villiers Avenue, Van Riebeck Avenue and Boy Louw Road.

We also welcome the investment of the provincial government of putting Vereeniging area at the apex of our developmental agenda as part of the township renewal programme.

Subjecting the IDP and budget to a community consultative process confirms our conviction that Reconstruction and Development Program shall be obsolete in the absence of community input. This rests our tested conviction that the people shall govern.

I would like to thank  Madam speaker, all those who have invested their efforts in ensuring that this process is stakeholder driven, thus reflective of the will of our communities, thus confirming our conviction that no government can claim authority unless it is based upon the will of the people.

The roll out of the cemetery grass cutting programme has commenced on the 10th March 2011 and will be rolled out on a continuous basis. This will result in our beloved ones being laid to rest in a dignified manner. We commend our Parks Division under the stewardship of MMC Mike Muir for this intervention.

As this journey shortens Madam Speaker, we need to prepare a handover report to those who will be assuming the leadership of this institution on the 18th May 2011.

This handover report should reflect:

• An overview of the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the municipality;
• An overview of the organizational structure of the municipality;
• An overview of the issues to be addressed in relation to the turnaround strategy;
• The municipality’s 2009/10 audit outcome, and its strategy to address audit issues;
• An overview of the provision of basic services, including plans to address backlogs;
• An overview of the financial state of the municipality;
• An overview of the state of the municipality’s assets, with particular reference to the assets management plan, repairs and maintenance requirements;
• A list of the key processes requiring Council input over the next six months dealing with the revision of the IDP and approval of specific policies; and
• A list of infrastructure projects planned for the 2011/12 budget and the medium term and budget expenditure framework.

Madam Speaker the purpose of this report as required by circular 55 of the Municipal Finance Management Act is to familiarize new political incumbents on the state of the municipality, its financial state, service delivery and capital programmes.

This report shall reflect our performance, strengths and weaknesses for the past five years of governance.  We shall tell no lies but give a frank assessment of our long journey, reflect on the sad and good moments. But a lot has been done since 1st March 2006 and more still needs to be done.

Turnaround Strategy

Amidst the hardships of this journey, our turnaround strategy was developed as an intervention measure to address the following:

• Development of a human resource plan;
• Decentralization of human resource functions;
• Restructuring of the revenue management function;
• Establishment of the monitoring and evaluation unit as well as the presidential hotline;
• Implementation of a 90 day service delivery programme to expedite delivery;
• Development of a 5 year financial recovery plan;
• Development of a scientific tariff model;
• Alignment of the IDP with the Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plans and key performance indicators;
• Establishment of the audit committee; and
• Equalization of sanitation tariffs.

Infrastructure Planning and Asset Management

The establishment of the Infrastructure Planning and Asset Management cluster is a quantum leap towards sustainable service delivery.

Within a short space of time we have been able to ensure that specifications for the Extended Public Works Programme are completed within two weeks.  This will create hundreds of jobs for our people.

This in line with President Jacob Zuma’s declaration of the 2011 as “a year of job creation”.

It is through this project that we contribute to the national effort of creating jobs and eradicating poverty. This will benefit our communities, especially women and young people.

This intervention will lead to the usage of renewable and alternative energy sources to save electricity.

The restructuring of the Project Management Unit will lead to the appointment of a project management specialist for the management of ward based projects and other projects.

It will lead to the appointment of a Construction and Planning Manager to create capacity in order to address infrastructure and service delivery backlogs.

These processes are supported by our partnership with Mogale City for the compilation and finalization of business plans for the Municipal Infrastructure Grant funding.

Water Week

We welcome the initiative by the basic services cluster through our water utility to save water. A plan has been put in place to ensure efficient utilization of water as a commodity and resource. Through educational and awareness campaigns during the Water Week our people responded to our call of using water sparingly.

As part of our interventions, we have through the National Water Conservation and Water Demand Management Programme developed a three phased programme entailing:

• Prevention of property leakages as part of the 2009-2014 years strategy;
• Ensuring efficient usage through 2014-2025 years strategy; and
• Reduction of inefficient water usage through 2015-2025 year strategy.

Whilst there are those who condemn us as being polluters of the Vaal River, we continue to provide clean and affordable portable water. The attainment of the Blue Drop Status flies in the face of our accusers.

Our flagships and Ward Based Projects are a unique model in the country. It is through this innovative approach that we built the Evaton, Amatola, Batswana-Bakoena, Moshoeshoe and Adams Roads.

The MEC’s for Roads and Transport, Mr Ishmael Vadi’s intervention has been sought in alleviating the state of West road and other roads has been sought.

The construction of a R23 million reservoir in Boiketlong is underway to facilitate the development of new houses.

As part of the 13 point–plan and the mandate of the African National Congress, there exists no bucket system in our area.

The project design for the establishment of a regional sewer scheme is in the amount of R30 million. This is part of the 3.5 billion sewer infrastructure development to nachor socio-economic development in Southern Gauteng.

Madam Speaker, we welcome the Municipal Manager’s measures to cut costs through restricting telephones lines to strategic and essential numbers.

This will reduce our telephone costs drastically from five hundred thousand rand per month to the minimum.

We further welcome the acceleration of the implementation of the SMART metering project in order to render an effective and accurate service to our consumers.

We continue to provide services to our people through the electrification of Tshepiso extension 4, erection and installation of high mast lights. We continue to provide houses to the sick and the elderly.

In partnership with the Department of Local Government and Housing, we will continue to provide houses to our people at a faster pace.

The department of Local Government and Housing has set aside millions of rands to provider shelter to our people.

This is part of the journey that we continue to travel as we conclude the last laps of the past five years.

As we conclude the Human Rights Month, let us pay tribute, in remembrance of the late Chris Hani, the former General Secretary of the South African Communist Party and a senior member of the African National Congress whose life was snuffed out by a bullet on the 10th April 1993.

We pay homage in remembrance of the former President of the African National Congress, the late Oliver Reginald Tambo who passed away on the 23rd April 1993.

We bow our heads in sorrow in mourning the death of the veteran and stalwart of the African National Congress and the former Chief Whip of the National Council of Provinces, the late Henry Makgothi.

He served as the former Deputy Secretary-General of the ANC on his return from exile in 1990. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.

This is not only a loss to the ANC and the broader Congress Alliance but a loss to all South Africans. He will be laid to rest on the 2nd of April 2011. May his soul rest in peace.

We extend our condolences to the family of Cllr. Leonora and Mike Muir for the loss of her mother. May her soul rest in peace.

Media

It is befitting to thank the media for having positively reported on the progress made regarding the state of our cemeteries and a need to provide houses to the needy. It is through the media that together we can build a better society through partnership. The media remains a important sector of our community. They remain the ears and eyes of the community. We thank you for your long support spanning many years.

Our international twinning programme with the Eindhoven Municipality, the Siyaqoba organization in Evaton West has strengthened our resolve to change the face of our communities.

It is through this partnership that we have deployed 400 patrollers as part of the national crime prevention strategy, establishment of a food garden as part of food security, empowerment of Day Care Centres through skills provision and training.

To the Chief Whip of Council, Cllr. Thembile Qquba, as the journey towards the 18th May shortens, let the collective wisdom, energy, determination and unity of this house continue to bind us together as we strive to complete the people’s mandate.

For the past five years this council chamber has been our home. Through the battle of ideas under your stewardship Madam Speaker you held fort under testing times.

It is in this august house that the 13 point plan as part of my mandate by the African National Congress sought to make this journey fruitful and beneficial to our people.

It is through this plan, together with the leadership collective of the Mayoral Committee and the Political Management Team that we steered the ship away from the wind and treacherous waters.

The 100 plan of action saw the filling of critical vacancies to address challenges that arise with service delivery. All senior management posts have been filled in line with that mandate.

The conversion of temporary posts into full time posts is a milestone that we pride ourselves.

The deployment of engineers by the South African Council of Engineers constitutes part of our strategy to speed service delivery.

The 100 days plan of action, together with the 90 days plan of action as part of our turnaround strategy saw a drastic improvement on the performance of the municipality.

We pride ourselves with the interventions we have made to unblock challenges that impeded service delivery. This is a collective effort as led by the African National Congress.

There are those who under the name of service delivery withhold their payments for services by opening trust accounts.

Allegiance to the Republic and Constitution goes with the responsibility of nation building.

As government we cannot consciously abrogate our responsibility to the constitution.

In our instance there are those with the means to litigate against the state and there are silent masses who reside in shacks with no inkling that their government has been taken to court by its people at the expense of those who cannot afford expensive litigation.

Perhaps it is true that we are two nations.

Our democracy has created a platform for constructive engagement and input. Our achievements are an attestation of the contract we have entered into with our people and a declaration for a better life.

It is through our interventions that there is institutional capacity, transformation and stability. It is through our collective vision that we unblocked service delivery backlogs and paved a way for accelerated and sustainable service delivery.

We derive our mandate informed by the key priorities of a developmental state arising from the Local Government White Paper to be responsive to communities, to provide strategic leadership and to improve efficiency.

Since 2006 Madam Speaker, we have done a lot to improve the living conditions of our communities by providing houses, water and sanitation, electricity

The establishment of the Premier’s Hotline is a channel to communicate with our people in order to address their concerns. These concerns can be directed to 0860 42 88 364.

Whilst there are legitimate service delivery protests, we call upon our people to rally behind the IDP and budget.  The IDP and budget are available on our website. For comments and input

We call upon our leaders to be true servants of communities, to live with them, listen to them and share in their pain.

Our constitution is hinged upon participatory democracy.

This democracy needs to be protected and defended and our gains of the last five years jealously guarded.

We condemn those of threaten life, limb and property under the guise of service delivery protests. Our communities should not be used to advance selfish and personal agendas under the name of bad service delivery or non-provision of services.

We call upon young people and all communities to go to the polls on the 18th may 2011 to vote for the government of their choice.

We call upon our people to pay for services in order to speed up service delivery.

The budget and IDP as presented for community input require payment for services provided by government. Without revenue our dream for a better life remains a pie in the sky.

True to our commitment, since assumption of office as guided by the 13 point plan, corruption is alien to our developmental agenda.

The establishment of the Anti Fraud and Anti Corruption Hotline and the Anti Fraud and Anti Corruption Strategy bear testimony to our commitment to clean governance devoid of abuse of tax payers’ money.

The achievement of the two consecutive qualified audits confirms our successes in ensuring open, sound and accountable financial administration and to achieve a clean audit.

The Regional Sewer Scheme will alleviate the problem of water-logged houses and improve our storm-water and roads infrastructure.

The Hostel Renewal Programme will improve the living conditions of our people by transforming hostels into dignified family units. It is stated nowhere in our historical archives that these horrific and horrendous hostels are the creature of the African National Congress.

The erection of the Boipatong Monument is in recognition of the fateful day of the 17th June 1992 and an embodiment of those who cherished a country based on adult universal suffrage, equality and justice.

It is the sacrifices of our people that today, irrespective of other people’s ability to withhold payment of services that our children can live in harmony amongst themselves.

Perhaps we need to remind those who lay claim to opulence and comfort, those who live safely behind their high and electrified walls and fences, electrified and water metred water houses, that those who died during the Nangalembe, Sebokeng, Sharpeville and Boipatong Massacres were not part of the statistics. Their death was not in vain.

A lot has been done and more still needs to be done.

We should remain collectively accountable for our achievements, strengths, weaknesses and failures, across the political spectrum from the ruling party to independents and the opposition.

As this journey nears its end Madam Speaker, I hereby present my Mayoral Committee items and I thank you.