According to Masina this was his first State of the City Address and he highlighted the plans to improve the conditions of the City and its people.
The aim to build a capable city with the capacity to transform and improve the lives of people in EMM is an ongoing process through evolution.
“Our motto is thus ‘delivery, delivery, delivery’ as expressed in our Siyaqhuba call to action.” he said.
“Since the commencement of the administration, the City has not rested. ”
“The Siyaqhuba programme involves the transformation of the relationship between government authorities and the struggling members of our communities.”
According to Masina the City plans to rename key interchanges on the N3, N12, N17, R21 and R24 freeways after heroes and heroines of our struggle who are closely associated with the surrounding areas.
Masina continued to say the metro would focus on increasing capital investment in sporting infrastructure in order to promote and finance sporting tournaments in various sporting codes.
An amount of R91 million will be spent over a three-year period on the construction of community social amenities, such as a new swimming pool in Duduza, a library in Etwatwa and the Germiston Theatre.
During the Easter weekend from April 14 to 16, the City is hosting the Mayoral Kings of Diski Challenge at Sinaba Stadium in Daveyton.
“Through a concerted programme of Urban Regeneration, we will regenerate our nine towns, 17 townships and scores of individual areas by encouraging the refurbishment and improvement of buildings,” he said.
The City has a multi-pronged housing delivery strategy that will transform the City of Ekurhuleni into a modern cosmopolitan urban environment.
Housing options will be offered for different social classes, depending on their unique circumstances and financial capacity.
An amount of R663 million has been set aside for the construction of new roads. About 49 per cent of that expenditure will go to the fast east region that covers Duduza, Tsakane, Nigel, Springs, Daveyton and Wattville, among other areas.
The mayor said: “The municipality has an obligation to build a broad economic framework that generates jobs, business opportunities and increasing levels of income for the people.”
According to Masina the metro is working on a partnership with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) regarding Youth Empowerment Centres in Etwatwa, Tembisa, Duduza, Tsakane, KwaThema and Katlehong 1.
The department has trained unemployed youth through the Work Readiness Programme to run youth programmes at the centres.
“We have automative centres supported by the Automative Industry Development Corporation (AIDC) in townships such as Katlehong and Geluksdal,” Masina said.
“We are building Township Hubs at the total value of R200 million in Etwatwa, KwaThema and the Geluksdal Industrial Park. “
Masina highlighted how the municipality has improved efficiency through an online system used for accessing and checking accounts and online payments.
There are currently two payment kiosks, at Lakeside Mall and Alberton City Mall.
Two more are set to be installed at Carnival Mall and OR Tambo International Airport.
Masina emphasised how the municipality and its people needed to live by the principles and ideologies of Oliver Tambo in order to improve the state of Ekurhuleni.
However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) calls the Siyaqhuba project one that was meant to make a meaningful change in peoples’ lives, but is instead used as a PR exercise by the mayor.
“The Leeuwpoort Housing Development aims to address some of the housing issues, but does not cater to the various communities stuck on ever increasing housing lists, that are still not open and accessible for public scrutiny,” said the DA’s caucus leader, Ghaleb Cachalia.
Also read: DA upset by Goby social media comments
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