Masina, who was elected mayor yesterday (August 23) during a council sitting, said during his inaugural speech that together with the collective leadership, both institutionally and organisationally, the metro will continue to give critical attention to quality service delivery.

“We have to ensure that through our collective efforts, our communities will see marked improvement in their living standards and living conditions,” said Masina.

He highlighted the following as areas that require attention:

• Improve service delivery and Capex spending;
• Electrification of all informal settlements including the use of solar and other alternative power generation methods;
• Construction of 100 000 housing units;
• Provision of 59 000 serviced stands;
• Putting the Ekurhuleni university issue on the national agenda;
• Fast-tracking the upscaling of services in informal settlements;
• Invest in water infrastructure to ensure security of supply;
• Kick-starting the process of establishing our own power station in Ekurhuleni backed by alternative and renewable energies;
• Fighting fraud and corruption;
• Building internal capacity to reduce outsourcing of key municipal services;
• Accelerating the piloting of 24-hour clinic services;
• Launching an app for communities to report service delivery challenges;
• Speeding up the BRT and Wi-Fi rollout; and
• Introduction of one mega arts and culture festival as a signature event for the city.
• Creating more opportunities for the youth

He also stressed that the current government has done a lot to improve the lives of our people since the establishment of the Ekurhuleni Metro in 2000.

“I must thank all my predecessors starting with the late Bavumile Vilakazi, Duma Nkosi, Ntombi Mekgwe and most recently Mondli Gungubele for having served the people of Ekurhuleni diligently and maintaining a culture of good governance.

“These cadres laid a firm and solid foundation for this administration to build on and we are committed to take the baton further towards the finishing line.”

He said that the ANC-led Ekurhuleni government demonstrates that the metro is on the right track.

“Despite the fact that we have a history of massive fragmentation, dispersed urban structure of towns with no identifiable city centre, a declining manufacturing base, increasing social isolation and high levels of poverty – in a very short space of time we have stamped our authority as a major player in Gauteng and the country.

“We as a metro received back-to-back clean audits (2013/14 and 2014/15), we are the destination of choice for investment according to global rating agency Moody’s and our water is among the best to drink in the country, hence we have been honoured with the Blue Drop Award three years in a row.

He said that in dealing with the cancer of fraud and corruption in the supply chain management system, the Ekurhuleni Metro is the first metro in Gauteng to introduce the public tender adjudication process.

He also highlighted the metro will continue to pursue the Growth and Development Strategy (GDS 2055), which is anchored on five strategic imperatives of re-urbanise, re-industrialise, re-generate, re-mobilise and re-govern.

Aerotropolis

Masina in his speech threw his support behind the aerotropolis.

“The aerotropolis master plan has been completed and remains a critical tool in our efforts to realise the city’s unique economic development trajectory.

“This project is a first for Africa and we remain resolute that it will increase the Nation’s international competitiveness and create a plethora of job opportunities for our people especially the youth.

“Recenty we sent a group of 19 youngsters on a four-year scholarship in Breda, Netherlands, to pursue Aerotropolis-related studies.

Joint effort

“We invite all our stakeholders including all political parties, NGOs, business, youth, community organisations, the clergy and many others to continue working with us as we continue the transformation of Ekurhuleni into one of the mega cities of the world.

“We have come this far together and we can get even further if we continue working together for the betterment of the future of this unique city.

As we build a better Ekurhuleni let us together find wisdom in the words of our own icon Oliver Reginald Tambo who said ‘we have a vision in which black and white shall live together as equals in conditions of peace and prosperity”.

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