The newly elected City of Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza sharply focused on key areas in his first State of the City Address (SOCA) on Tuesday - including job creation, construction of roads and water systems, safety, transportation improvements, revitalisation of manufacturing while declaring “a new era” for the city.
During his more than an hour-long speech at the OR Tambo Germiston Civic Centre in Ekurhuleni, he managed to break news on what the city had done and achieved so far.
Happily saying “Nasi Ispani”, in attempts to curb the spread of unemployment, Xhakaza said they will create 16,000 jobs and maximise the Youth Skills Development of 4, 300 young people.
He also announced that they would be unveiling the first 1,400 cohort of beneficiaries of this programme next month.
“When it comes to transport planning, we shall be accelerating the rollout of the Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) and Harambee.
“This will see the construction of additional dedicated bus lanes, street lights, curbside stops, and walkways. We will also be acquiring 24 additional buses to expand the Harambee footprint throughout the metro, and the refurbishment of the public transport system,” he said.
Bragging about receiving a Blue Drop award from the Department of Water and Sanitation, the mayor said they would continue to provide the best water to drink in the country.
But he said this could not happen without reliable infrastructure.
“We are steaming ahead with the massive infrastructure rollout programme which will not only ensure that we have a reliable water network, but will also ensure water security through the construction of new reservoirs and towers is a key component of the Aqua Leap programme.
“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.
This is despite some parts of Ekurhuleni still having water problems and proper sanitation facilities.
On the issue of safety across the city, he said they needed the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) to work with other security agencies more than ever and to show no mercy to criminals.
“What we are experiencing daily in our streets and communities has to stop. Our people must help us to reclaim our streets from drug lords and traffickers, pick-pocketers, and other peddlers peddlers of crime,” he said.
According to Xhakaza, under his leadership, Ekurhuleni should be a manufacturing warehouse, stating that Gibela, a company that manufactures trains, was one of the success stories of economic development.
Furthermore, the mayor reminded Ekurhuleni residents to vote in the 2024 national and provincial elections.
IOL Politics