The Executive Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, unveiled 56 new vehicles for various municipal departments at the Primrose Fleet Workshop on July 23.

Joined by several MMCs, the ceremony was brief as the mayor viewed and welcomed the new fleet.
He encouraged municipal employees to continue working hard and take pride in transforming the lives of the city’s residents.

The investment forms part of the city’s Fixing the Frontline programme, which aims to strengthen frontline service delivery by equipping operational teams with the tools they need to respond more effectively to residents’ needs.

The fleet includes cherry pickers, graders, tractors and utility bakkies that will be used across various departments to improve service delivery.

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Xhakaza said the new fleet would strengthen the city’s internal service delivery capacity and provide much-needed support to Metro Trading Services and frontline functions, particularly the Solid Waste Management, Energy, and Water and Sanitation business units.

“This administration is committed to delivering quality and sustainable services to all. This is a clear demonstration of our commitment, and we remain focused on transforming the lives of our residents,” he said.

He added that the new fleet would enable faster response times, improve operational efficiency and provide more reliable municipal services across Ekurhuleni.

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“We need to continue equipping our teams, who are on the ground serving residents every day, with the necessary tools of the trade. We truly appreciate our residents who pay for municipal services because this enables us to meet expectations for quality service delivery,” said Xhakaza.

He said the additional vehicles would increase capacity, improve response times and make service delivery more visible.

“This will also reduce our outsourcing costs and enable us to strengthen our internal capacity while creating employment and developing skills. We have already trained 20 young people within various departments.

“We must continue investing in our youth by developing their skills. That is why we are working with colleges to provide training opportunities, making it easier to absorb some of these young people into the municipality.”

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Xhakaza also spoke about plans to establish the proposed Ekurhuleni University.

“Our work goes beyond this, as we are looking to welcome the first intake of students in 2027. We recently conducted an intergovernmental visit to sites being considered for the establishment of the new university.

“The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, together with Deputy Minister Buti Manamela, and the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, joined us as part of the feasibility study currently being undertaken by the Department of Higher Education and Training.

“We visited the proposed university site in Boksburg, as well as the Denel Academy site in Kempton Park, where discussions are under way regarding its possible use as an interim teaching and learning campus.

“The establishment of a university in Ekurhuleni has the potential to expand access to higher education, support skills development and contribute to the city’s broader economic development.”

MMC for Community Services and By-Law Enforcement Clr Siyabonga Mathews Moloi welcomed the investment, saying his department had received two TLBs, four vans and two graders.

“This translates into faster and more efficient service delivery. We will be able to reduce the backlog in cemeteries, sports fields and public parks.

“The good thing about the new fleet is that the vehicles are still under warranty, so maintenance costs will be limited. However, we encourage our staff to take good care of them.

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“It’s exciting that we will now be able to respond much faster. Previously, we had only one grader covering the entire city. We now have three, which means one grader can be deployed in each of three different regions.

“We have already developed a plan to tackle the backlog following the approval of the new budget. Residents will see more frequent grass cutting in cemeteries and parks.

“We have fallen behind on the maintenance of lakes and dams because we do not currently have contractors to carry out this work,” said Moloi.

The mayor also appealed to municipal employees to take care of the vehicles to ensure they remain in service for many years for the benefit of Ekurhuleni residents.