The event will take place at the Germiston Civic Centre at 10am.

“This is a speech in which the Executive Mayor shares with the people of Ekurhuleni progress made since the last local government elections in 2011, progress made in the present financial year and the way forward in terms of delivering on the mandate given to the city by the electorate two and a half years ago,” said mayoral spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.

According to Dlamini, the issues of job creation, poverty alleviation and inequality, and progress on strategic mayoral programmes such as the Aerotropolis, beautification of lakes and dams, the integrated public transport system and digital city will dominate the speech.

A new dimension that the public can expect will be a reflection on the achievements of the past 20 years of democracy — this of course being the 20th anniversary of South Africa’s democracy.

Although the metro is only 13 years old, the region itself has been in existence as the East Rand for years.

In actual fact it was at the World Trade Centre in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, where the Codesa — which led to the birth of the new non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa — was held.

“Obviously 20 years later we have a story to tell and the mayor will certainly do that,” said Dlamini.

For the past two weeks Gungubele has been running a public participation campaign known as the Soca tips drive, which is aimed at encouraging the public to share their views on what they would like him to touch on in the speech.

“The public response was quite overwhelming and we are incorporating some of the views into the speech,” added Dlamini.