Mayor tightens screws on key service delivery projects in State of the Capital Address

The revamping of essential service delivery projects was at the top of the Tshwane mayor’s priority list during his State of the Capital Address on Thursday.

With just months before the local government elections, Tshwane metro mayor Randall Williams said council needed to work hard to ensure quality and sustainable services were delivered.

He said the metro was strengthening several key service delivery projects set up in ensuring services hit the ground.

“The task before us is immense. As the country faces a weakened economy, we must look to ways in which the metro can provide support in stimulating growth and driving increased economic activity across Tshwane,” Williams said.

“To do this means that we must provide an acceptable and affordable level of service delivery to our residents.”

Part of his 10 point plan to ensure stable services involved the prioritisation of upgrading and maintenance of ageing water and electricity infrastructure in Tshwane.

“Despite the real challenges that the Covid-19 national state of disaster has had on our project timelines, the utility services department has managed to spend almost 50% of its capital budget by mid-year, and is on track to spend at least 95% of its budget by year-end.”

Williams said the Baviaanspoort Waste Water Treatment Works, linked to the pollution of rivers in the region, was 88% complete and was on track for completion in May 2021.

“This R41-million project will restore the additional treatment capacity needed for the plant to ensure the treated effluent released into the Pienaars river complies with national standards. This will stop further pollution of the Pienaars river and the Roodeplaat dam downstream.”

The residents of Hammanskraal have had water issues for years with the matter reaching the courts and the South African Human Rights Commission.

On issues of electricity, Williams said the new Wildebeest infeed substation that would be linked to Eskom and the rest of the province, was on track to be completed by 2024.

“This is a critical project that is needed to allow our city to grow, to supply the rapidly developing eastern areas of Tshwane and to strengthen the back-up supply to many other substations.”

Tshwane has a total of 227 informal settlements spread across its seven regions, with an estimated 345 710 households living in informal settlements.

“A total of eight informal settlements are targeted for formalisation in the township establishment stage this financial year, with 19 informal settlements targeted for the 2021/22 financial year, and a total of 52 in the next three years.”

Williams said the metro was also currently installing bulk internal water and sewer services to support the human settlement developments.

“In just over three months, we have cut over 45-million square metres of grass. The road repair teams have repaired over 10 800 potholes across 25 000 square meters of road, a massive area altogether.”

He also vowed that the metro would still proceed with its plans working towards financial stability after being negatively affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

“The collection rate for debtors has already improved to just over 88% and every effort is being made to again reach the target of 95%.”

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