The Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) and its Executive Mayor, Councillor Tyrone Gray recently appointed the new Members of the Mayoral Council (MMC) whose job it will be over the next four years to oversee the various municipal departments.

Kagiso Lekagane is the MMC for Utilities and has his work cut out for him as this portfolio entails ensuring that the water supply system, sewerage and electricity networks function properly for all Mogale City residents.

Kagiso visited all the waste-water treatment plants, among them the Flip Human, Percy Steward, Magalies and Lusaka 2 and 3 centres, as well as all the electricity substations that fall under the MCLM.

It was important because I had to hit the ground running to see if the existing projects are sticking to the timelines and to identify any challenges before we pass a new budget so that we can address them. I also had to motivate the staff and officials, and prepare a report for the portfolio members,” Kagiso explained.

It was important for him to meet the workers on the ground to show his appreciation, and to check that everything was running smoothly.

In the short term, Kagiso said, “There are quite a few plants at Flip Human that need refurbishment; the generators at the Magaliesburg treatment plant need to be serviced; and repairs and maintenance at the Factoria substation need to be focused on. We must also try to secure our own infrastructure, like cables, from constant theft by zama zamas.”

As for the long term, the MMC explained that they want to replace aging infrastructure such as the sewerage pipes as they are more than five decades old, and replace underground cables with overhead cables to help prevent theft.

We also want to increase our manpower and switch to cheaper energy sources, such as solar.”