31 May 2006

Madam Speaker: Councilor Noluthando Mangole

Chief Whip of Council: Councilor Boyce Maneli

Members of the Mayoral Committee

Leaders of political parties

Honourable Councilors of Mogale City

Municipal Manager, Directors and senior management of Mogale City Local Municipality

Members of the media

Good People of Mogale City:

INTRODUCTION
In Bloemfontein in December 1994, at the 49th and first National Conference of the ruling party after liberation, then National President of the Republic, Nelson Mandela said: "As has been pointed out here by many speakers, what is of immediate concern to us now are the forthcoming local government elections, which we must win at all costs. In many respects, these elections are far more important - far more crucial than the national elections on the 27th of April. It is in the level of local government that we come into physical contact with the problems of the people. It is at that level that delivery in terms of the RDP has to take place. We cannot be general in local government. We have to move from the elevated, from the general tone of our work, to specifics. At that level what the people want to hear is: how many jobs are we going to create within the next 12 months? How many houses are you going to build? How many clinics? How many schools? How many boreholes are you going to make? You have to know the conditions in that particular area very thoroughly to make an impact on people at that level!"

Since then, our country has had three local government elections. These three local government elections have a number of common features, including: an inimitable meeting of the minds between the electorate and the African National Congress. The confidence that the people of South Africa, and of Mogale City in particular put in the African National Congress is no mistake. It is because as Nelson Mandela said, we understand that this sphere of government is about moving from the general to the specifics. It is because we know, having come from such communities, that people need jobs, houses, clinics, schools, roads and basic water and sanitation. And we know this because we understand the conditions in these specific areas thoroughly to make an impact on people at that level. We know this because we identify with the realities of ordinary people who are our most important partner.

Madam Speaker, what Nelson Mandela spoke about in 1994 still characterizes our government's programme, attitude and vision. When President Thabo Mbeki wrote about the principal Order of the Day of our movement and government being "Let the work begin!", he had Mandela's words in mind, just 8 months after our victory in our country's historic first democratic elections of 1994.

And so I want to first and foremost thank the people of Mogale City for continuing to give real meaning to our hard-fought democracy. They deserve the credit because in all the three local government elections we have had, as well as in three national elections we have had, we in this city enjoyed peaceful, free and fair elections where the people expressed their choice. They have to know that by so doing, they have repeatedly provided an example for the rest in our continent and the entire world, that it is possible. It has become expected in the entire continent of Africa today that regular elections must happen, and they must happen without bloodshed and rigging. Our people have played a role in establishing such practices and they must be saluted for that.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ANNIVERARIES
Madam Speaker, this year presents us with the opportunity to celebrate and commemorate a number of significant events in the history of our country and our continent. In a message to all patriots and struggling masses of our motherland after the June 1976 uprising, political prisoners on Robben Island wrote: "The evils, the cruelty and the inhumanity of apartheid have been there from its inception. And we have opposed it all along the line. What is now unmistakable, what the current wave of unrest has sharply highlighted, is this: that despite all the window-dressing and smooth talk, apartheid has become intolerable. This awareness reaches over and beyond the particulars of our enslavement. The measure of this truth is the recognition by our people that under apartheid our lives, individually and collectively, count for nothing....... The world is on our side. At all levels of our struggle, within and outside the country, much has been achieved and remains to be done. But victory is certain!"

In exactly 16 days, the world will join us in commemorating June 16, 1976. That same day will mark the 30th anniversary of the uprising. Indeed, our country has come a long way. Those that sacrificed their lives live on as martyrs of our noble struggle. We will forever honour them. We will forever remember them.

Madam Speaker, 10 years after the June 16 1976 uprising, South Africa was yet again ground for another blow to the struggle of the oppressed people of the world, of Africa and more specifically of the people of Mozambique. A plane heading towards Mozambique, one of the passengers being inspirational and revolutionary leader Samora Machel, went down. I remember that day clearly. The weather changed unexpectedly, it became very cloudy. Samora Machel was no more. In October 1986, just days before Comrade Samora's funeral, in a message on Maputo Radio Broadcast to the Mozambican people, the Machel family, Frelimo, and the Mozambican government. Nelson and Winnie Mandela issued the following joint statement: "Our grief for the loss of Comrade Samora is so deep that it breaks our hearts. Throughout the night we shall join you in the vigil. Throughout the day we shall cry with you for the loss of that powerful soldier, courageous son and noble statesman. We must believe that his death will give new strength to your and our determination to someday be free. For you it will be through victory over the immoral and lackey bandits. For us it will be victory over oppression. Our struggle has always been linked and together we shall emerge victorious."

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Samora Machel on South African grounds. The details of why his plane went down are still not clear enough. Hell is awaiting those responsible. The spirit of Comrade Samora Machel still lives on.

CITY-WIDE TOUR
Madam Speaker, it has happened in many countries that a liberation movement comes into power and freedom fighters of yesterday become members of the government. Sometimes without any idea of mischief, they forget about the people who put them in power, and become a class, a separate entity unto themselves, who are not accountable to the people. Nelson Mandela says that one of the ways of preventing that temptation is for members of government to go regularly to their areas, talk to the people. Go to the squatter camps, enter the rooms and see how they live, talk to them also to explain to them, as feedback, what their government is doing to improve their lives.

In Mogale City, we believe in this. So much so that the very first thing we did when we took office was to embark on a city-wide tour to identify specific areas that can be dealt with immediately, to see for ourselves where and how people live, and to provide this much-needed feedback so that people understand that we exist because their lives must be better.

IDP AND BUDGET PROCESS
Madam Speaker, the Integrated Development Plan of Mogale City remains key in guiding the council with regard to Strategic Priority Areas. Since the election of the new Council, besides the City Wide Tour, we also held a Strategic Planning Session as part of the process of councilors and senior managers reassessing and confirming the IDP and budget, as presented to Council in March 2006.

Assisted by our district municipality as well as a number of provincial departments, including the department of housing, the new leadership sought to firstly:

• The provision of water and temporary sanitation in rural areas;
  
• The distribution of title deeds;
  
• The registration of indigents;
  
• The filling of potholes;
  
• Dealing appropriately and decisively with illegal dumping; and
  
• Land acquisition.
  

• Infrastructure is to receive 37% or R31 million
  
• Water and Sanitation 35% or R28 million
  
• Housing receives 10% or R8.7 million
  
• Integrated Environmental Management 7% or R5,5 million
  
• Community Services 6% or R4,6 million
  
• Other Directorates 5% or R3,7 million
  

• Enhancement and upgrade of Low Voltage Infrastructure
  
• Development and upgrade of the Muldersdrift electricity supply
  
• Upgrade of the Chamdoor and Factoria supply
  
• Upgrade and replacement of outdated traffic lights
  
• Refurbishment of old Sub-stations
  
• Roads and Stormwater in Muldersdrift, Magaliesburg, Hekpoort, Tarlton as well as in Kagiso and Lusaka
  

• Refurbishment of Percy Stewart Water Care Works
  
• Lusaka Pump Station development
  
• Rural Water and Sanitation
  
• Water Demand Management
  
• Prepaid Water Meters
  
• Muldersdrift reservoir and outfall sewer
  

• Improvements to the living conditions in the Horse Shoe area
  
• Eradicating the informal settlement of Pango
  
• Converting the Munsieville hostel
  
• Developing the Commando land into a Social Housing initiative which will provide good quality affordable rental housing and integrate our communities.
  

• Kagiso Ext 13
  
• Rietvallei 2 & 3
  
• Johanna Botha
  
• Azaadville
  

• Development of Prescinct Plans
  
• Leratong Township Establishment
  
• Enhancing Information Technology, Information Management and electronic communication
  
• Revenue Enhancement Project
  

• National government grants including MIG: 52%;
  
• Council funds, most of which is from the proceeds of the sale of land: 33%;
  
• Grants from provincial government, most of which is for Housing Projects: 13%; and
  
• Public contributions: 3%.
  

• Assessment Rates: 17% or R119 million
  
• Tariffs levied for services:
  
  • Electricity: 31% or R216 million
    
  • Water and Sanitation: 26% or R170 million
    
  • Refuse Removal: 6% or R42 million
    
  • Other Service Charges: 4% or R29 million
    
• Government Grant and Subsidies: 11% or R76 million
  
• Other income: 5% or R37 million
  

• Property rates: 6%
  
• Electricity tariffs: -17.38% to 16.79% (in line with the National restructuring guidelines for electricity tariffs. Approval for implementation of tariffs is still awaited from the NER)
  
• Water tariffs: 6%
  
• Sanitation tariffs: 6% from 1 October 2006
  
• Refuse collection tariffs: 6%
  
• Other user charges: 3% to 20% (based on cost recovery and alignment to charges in other regions).

• Increased payment levels from all communities within Mogale City which will allow speedy delivery of high level services. A major drive has been embarked on to register and confirm indigents within our boundaries. For those who are not approved as indigents, strong credit control action will be taken.
  
• Illegal connections will be dealt with strictly and legal action taken against the thieves of our electricity and water supply
  
• Vandalism and theft of electrical cables also needs Council and communities, along side the law, to unite in the fight against such evil acts which are extremely costly to Council as well as to the communities of Mogale City.