[Speech]: Response to the State of the City Address: “Don’t Judge each Day by the Harvest you Reap but by the Seeds that you Plant”
By Ald. T. Campbell — DA Caucus Leader in Ekurhuleni
Note: The following statement is a speech that was delivered by Ald. Tania Campbell — DA Caucus Leader in Ekurhuleni, in response to the Executive Mayor’s State of the City Address (SOCA) in the Ordinary Council Meeting, held on the 26th April 2023.
The Speaker of Council, Cllr. Tshivhenga,
Honourable Executive Mayor, Cllr. Siyuvile Ngodwana,
All protocols observed.
Good morning,
A little over a year ago, I stood in this council chamber to outline the vision the then newly elected multi-party coalition had charted for this city and her residents.
Our aim was clear.
It was decisive.
It was a long-term vision with plans to bring stability back to this great Metro.
Unfortunately, over the past twelve months, the political sands shifted but we our determination and vision never wavered!
While under the Multi-Party Coalition, we had seen the attempted collapse of service delivery all around this city.
Cable vandalism mislabelled as cable theft with tardy turnaround times leaving our people in the dark for sometimes days on end.
Waste not collected and blamed on a myriad of external factors despite concerted efforts to pull this department back from the brink.
You had done this city and her people a disservice through cheap politicking at the expense of service delivery.
Madam Speaker,
I do not want to dwell on the negative.
I want to congratulate the new Mayor and the EFF led Coalition on their Maiden State of the City Address.
As you may have noticed, the Democratic Alliance did not attend the event as we cannot condone such blatant and exorbitant spending on an event while our residents and communities struggle to make ends meet each month, and our city’s finances are in turmoil.
Mr Mayor,
Having gone through your speech, I cannot help but to notice the legacy and blueprint for good governance and the vision of the Multi-Party Coalition woven through your speech. I wish to commend you on embracing our principles of Back to Basics.
In fact, it was the Multi-Party Coalition who:
Last year, through a Mayoral Committee item, took decisive steps to fast track the process of getting our flagship solar project up and running.
A total of 10 solar Independent Power Producers (IPP) will now be accommodated at Zestfontein farm Benoni which, upon completion will add a total generation capacity of 90 Mega Watts into the city grid.
This single solar farm alone will be able to off-set 1 stage of load-shedding.
In addition to this, along the eastern corridor, a total of 16 other solar IPP projects are currently in various stages of completion that will add a combined 151 Mega Watt output.
Three gas-to-power projects are underway and will feed 117 Mega Watts back into our grid.
By 2024, the city, under the Multi-Party Coalition would have commissioned 358 Mega Watts of its own electricity to ensure that we are no longer victims of failing state owned entities.
We were investing in the long-term stability of our City. In fact, to ensure that all our residents have access to water, under our leadership, the city completed five (5) reservoirs, in the last year.
Mr Mayor,
As the DA we are cognisant of the fact that the economy is on its knees with inflation continuing to rise, this is why, under our tenure we proactively implemented several steps to address the struggles of payment performance of our residents and businesses.
The first of these initiatives is the Debt Rehabilitation and Reward incentive Scheme. We thank you and the EFF run Coalition for embracing our policies.
In terms of this scheme financially stressed residents were encouraged to apply to the CoE for debt rehabilitation. The City had received over 3000 applications to this scheme resulting in a financial commitment of over R30 million.
Residents that are regular payers have been incentivised to continue their good behaviour by receiving a bi-annual discount.
The second initiative introduced was the Financial Stability Task Team whose mandate it is to focus on collecting outstanding monies from the top 1 000 business debtors.
This initiative has resulted in an additional R18 million that is now in the city coffers.
Madam Speaker,
Through our investment and development facilitation, the City had intensified its effort to unlock the city’ R300 billion investment pipeline.
The City has so far in 2022/23 through its direct intervention and investment facilitation already secured investments to the tune of R8,9 billion, largely coming from sectors such as ICT, Transport and logistics, commercial offices and warehousing.
Through our investment drive, a total of R8.9 billion has been injected into the city’s economy and 5 410 Jobs have been created in the 12-month period.
In the previous financial year 7 098 Work opportunities were created by the City through the expanded Public Works programme where the community is employed during the implementation of both CAPEX and OPEX programmes.
The previous Coalition Government had already employed approximately 7 000 local residents to date in the 2022/23 financial year.
Executive Mayor, you mentioned I your speech a Economic Recovery phase, were 50 youth will be incubated, this initiative again welcomed that you carry it forward from our tenure, however what is your plan in rolling this out to all our youth in the City as unemployment is at an all time high.
At the very ethos of our back to basics principles was to bring services back to communities and entice investment.
To do this, we had to be tough on crime, and tougher on the causes of crime. That’s why we invested in our law enforcement.
In August of last year 473 newly appointed EMPD officers hit the ground to bolster our efforts to combat crime and enforce the city’s by-laws.
As the city we are aware of crimes borne of desperation and opportunism like the theft and vandalism of our municipal infrastructure.
To this end, we promoted EMPD the multi-disciplinary cable theft task team comprised of SAPS, Transnet, PRASA as well as Eskom.
We welcome a tough stance on crime and corruption — Mr Mayor, I challenge you to not pay lip service as you said, but to implement the Motion brought by myself to do lifestyle audits on all public representatives in this house, starting with the number one citizen, yourself MR Mayor, even though you voted against it. I had no problem as then the Mayor with the lifestyle audits, now show your seriousness and get it done.
As the Executive Mayor in office I was not afraid of investigation any department for allegations of corruption or maladministration, in fact I sent investigations to MPAC, Forensic Audit committee and the SIU after not getting adequate information from the departments. Current SIU investigations are;
· Ekurhuleni Fleet Tender;
· Chris Hani Museum;
· Ekurhuleni Housing Company, and;
· the infamous Mayoral Car saga.
Mr Mayor,
You touched on it but, if one is to live a dignified life, then one needs security of tenure.
This security of tenure needs to be augmented by human living conditions.
In dismantling apartheid spatial planning and moving people in to dignified homes, this multi-party coalition had worked tirelessly with other spheres of government to accelerate human settlement projects with the urgency required of this programme.
In a city where there are over 119 informal settlements, it cannot be that this department would have been allowed to continue on the trajectory it was headed when we inherited the Executive functions of this city.
No human being should have to endure the hardships of living in unsavoury, unsanitary, and unsafe environment.
The Interdepartmental Informal Settlements Technical Task Team coordinated the provision of temporary basic services in all 119 informal settlements.
To this end, we had managed to re-blocked eight (8) informal settlements in our short tenure. Imagine if we had a full 5 year term.
Providing dignity and land security, a total of 2 551 title deeds were distributed by the MPC.
Madam Speaker,
The Executive Mayor revealed bold plans to tackle the roads, storm water and transport challenges. The truth is, these are the Multi-Party coalition’s strategies and plans, And while I can’t fault you on embracing a strategy that works, we will hold you to account on the implementation, and pray that you are not sabotaged as we were.
This multi-party coalition remained committed to ensuring that our residents have cost effective and integrated modes of transport.
To the end, additional buses were procured for Harambee Bus System, ensuring its extension and improved routes.
As a result, trips on this system are on the increase. In April 2022, passenger trips stood at 143 670. As of in February 2023 there were 216 467 monthly trips while the average weekly passenger trips increased from 5 736 to 8 821 during the same period.
The highest recorded passenger trip since inception were achieved in the current financial year.
The DA is happy that you are embracing the Multiparty Coalition government’s vision in completing the next phase of the Harambee Bus system as this phase has already been set in motion.
The Multi-party Coalition was moving the City of Ekurhuleni forward, one bus ride at a time.
Madam Speaker,
The Executive Mayor outlined plans for waste and environment. These plans were built on the solid foundation the Multi-Party Coalition left after rebuilding a collapsed department.
This multi-party administration stated from the onset that our city cannot and should not be a health hazard nor should it be a dumping site.
This department has been a sticking point and has become a major bone of contention for all residents in the city.
When we assumed office, we were under no illusion that the wheels were literally coming off in this department.
Plagued by mismanagement, aging equipment, a budget depleted by the use of external service providers, it was evident that it would take a mammoth task to return this service back to full operational capacity.
In the time that we have been in office, we have instituted a task team that identified key weaknesses in this department.
A crucial step was to suspend, and ultimately through council, remove the HOD who we had already identified as a problem when we were on the opposition benches.
Through our plant tender hire we were able to put 36 leased trucks on the streets of the city to clear backlogs.
Despite the political interference in council, and deliberate attempts to undermine residents, our pro-poor and service delivery oriented budget was passed allowing finances to be freed up to procure new vehicles.
We as the multiparty coalition government achieved this under dire circumstances and stabilised this department
Madam Speaker,
The conservation and upkeep of our environment is something that we take seriously.
The DA welcomes recycling programs and will support and monitor any programs in the City not only to keep our city clean but also as an alternate income source for our communities
Some of the notable steps we had taken in this regard were as follows:
The revision of the integrated waste management by-law has been finalized and implemented. This has gone a long way in fining and convicting several companies and individual transgressors.
The Green Cities Action Plan has given effect to a number of partnerships initiatives on climate change mitigation including, but not limited to, the “Heat Assessment Study” with the World bank, the Zero Waste Accelerator project with the C40 Cities network, and the local “Just Transition Program” with the South African Cities Network sponsored by C40.
Mr Mayor,
You referred to reinstating the bursary program to the youth in our City. This Mr Mayor is an exciting development, please explain your program in more detail. I’m sure our youth would like to know exactly how to access the funding. In addition, Mr Mayor as the DA we would want to know where you would be finding the funding for this program as it is rumoured that NESFAS has challenges of their own.
Mr Mayor, you literally took the words right out of my mouth in your speech when you said: “A healthy city is a functioning city”.
While this portfolio is seriously under funded by other spheres of government, and given the shrinking pot of self-generated revenue, we have managed to ensure that the primary healthcare services that we do provide are of the highest quality.
Instead of waiting for assistance from the provincial government, as a pro-active government, we forged firm partnerships with role-players in the private sector.
The notable achievements we made as the Multi-Party Coalition are:
· A total of 621 job opportunities were created as at 31 March 2023 to support mainly programmes within the Primary Health care (Community Support programme), Environmental Health (Rodent Control Ambassadors), and Social Development (Indigent Field Workers) divisions.
· In reducing mother to child HIV transmission, the city has maintained its 0.4% rate against the minimum standard of 1%.
· As part of the Decongestion Strategy at Health Facilities, a total number of 196 Pick-up-points for Chronic Medication are fully functional within the City, amongst this there is 23 Pele boxes.
· All 93 facilities in the City of Ekurhuleni has maintained the Ideal Clinic Status. 55 clinics attained platinum,38 clinics attained Gold and 3 clinics attained silver status.
· Secured partnerships with P & G for donations on sanitary pads to be distributed to schools and clinics in our poorer communities.
I would however want clarity on your statement in your speech supplying free basic sanitary towels. Where you referring to this donation from P&G or where you referring to supplying free sanitary towels on a continues basis and budgeting for it?
Mr Mayor, there has been tangible success in relation to the achievement of yet another Clean audit, this time under the Multi-Party Coalition.
We will be watching you and the EFF run Coalition!
We will be holding you and your Red Bride Coalition to account. Our residents and communities deserve good governance!
Honourable Mayor, in closing, I would like to leave you with the following quote by Robert Louis Stevenson — “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
I thank you.
END
