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2007 State of City address
14 March 2007
State of the City Address as presented by the Honourable Executive Mayor, Clr. Koketso Calvin Seerane in the Mogale City Local Municipality's Centenary Hall on 14 March 2007 INTRODUCTION It was on May 8, 1996 that President Thabo Mbeki, the then Deputy President of the Republic, gave the historic "I am an African" speech addressing the Constitutional Assembly on the occasion of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. This occasion was preceded by a protracted process of intense debate and negotiation which produced a settlement between longstanding foes on how best to ensure that indeed, as articulated by South Africans in the Freedom Charter, South Africa does belong to all who live in it. For those of us in local government, this constitution also addresses a number of issues that relate to our existence. One of those issues is captured as the "OBJECTS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT". Chapter 7, under section 152 (1) and (2), spells out what it is that we must do as politicians and administrators in local government such that we do not make a mockery of the painful process of liberation and give meaning to the supreme law of our land as directed by the founding law givers. Madam Speaker today we welcome this opportunity to test that which we have done against that which we have been sent to do by the people of Mogale City. When our government first took office in 1994, what also became clear was the fact that, as voluntary servants of the people of South Africa, ours was to go beyond what the laws we enacted stipulate. Understanding the magnitude of the task at hand, today we welcome this opportunity to also test whether we have indeed gone beyond the call of duty. This has to be so because we have a political and moral obligation to do just that. Just as we did last year, we again take this opportunity to thank and pay tribute to the people of Mogale City for their continued belief and confidence in the wisdom of the founding fathers that together we will prosper. We invite them to continue to engage us as their representatives so that at all times they can hold us accountable. Ishmael Mkhabela, Chief Executive of the Inter Faith Development Association, in addressing the issue of service delivery in local government says: "As much as elections are won on promises and manifestos, it may be important that we have a way of holding our political leaders accountable... We should respect the democratic institutions as a way of punishing political misbehaviour. " Indeed, we welcome this opportunity, one brought about as part of the system that stipulates the structure of democratic local governance, to ensure that we are held accountable so that both political and administrative misbehaviour does not find root and is frowned upon. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ANNIVERARIES Madam Speaker, as citizens not only of South Africa but of the African continent and the world as a whole, we take pride in celebrating and recognizing the role of others in our country and beyond in the quest for true humanity. While there are many, we would like to isolate a few. So before we go into the business of service delivery, please allow us this brief opportunity. This year Madam Speaker, the people of Mogale City join the rest in our country, our continent and the world to commemorate and recognize: o The 90th Anniversary of the birth of OR Tambo, the ever-humble servant of our people and one of the chief architects of the destruction of apartheid and the birth of our hard-fought democracy; o The 40th Anniversary of the death of ANC President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Chief Albert Luthuli, another servant and representative of the struggling people of our country who insisted that freedom must happen in our lifetime; o The 30th Anniversary of the death in detention of Steven Bantu Biko, a thinker and great believer in the 'freedom of the mind' among the oppressed masses as well as the banning of The World and Weekend World, alongside the banning of several organizations and individuals, particularly those belonging to the Black Consciousness Movement, as the apartheid regime sought unsuccessfully to suppress the will of the people; o The 20th Anniversary of the meeting in Dakar between the ANC and a delegation of prominent Afrikaner intellectuals, writers and opinion makers, in a refusal to accept apartheid South Africa's lie that we are better separated; and, o The 5th Anniversary of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in South Africa, 'which further enriched the global agenda for the eradication of poverty and underdevelopment in an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable manner'. Madam Speaker, we also want to pay special tribute to Mama Adelaide Tambo, who died earlier this year. We are thankful for the time we have had with her, and bid her farewell. We bid farewell also to those employees of the Mogale City Local Municipality who passed away recently as people that were part of the effort to create a better life for the people of Mogale City. Madam Speaker, one of the things we spoke about in our inaugural speech last year was the 100 Days in Office Plan, on which we said in part: "...This 100 day plan identified urgent needs and quick wins with specific focus on, amongst other, 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." It is in order for us to look at the detail of this plan and the results it yielded so that when we talk to our constituencies, it is on the basis of the facts. FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE It was in March 2006 Madam Speaker, upon assuming office, that we conducted a rapid assessment of service delivery needs that required urgent attention and set an action plan of urgent short-term interventions that could be achieved within our first 100 Days in office. The rapid assessment was based on a city-wide tour we undertook both as a way of introducing ourselves to the people as well as to get a first-hand view of the conditions under which the people live. It covered places such as Muldersdrift, Tarlton and Hekpoort as well as urban Kagiso and Munsieville. In our first 100 Days in office, together with the people of Mogale City, we were able to achieve the following: In Magaliesburg informal settlements a total of 955 households were attended to through the construction of toilets, water tankers and water points, upgrading boreholes and pumps, adding stand pipes and constructing VIP toilets. In Tarlton informal settlements a total of 1300 households were beneficiaries of water tankers, upgrading and constructing boreholes, stand pipes and VIP toiltes, as well as the provision of water through the municipal water network. Hekpoort and Muldersdrift informal settlements also had the same provision, with a total of 125 and 131 households respectively, benefiting. Specifically, this intervention had a direct benefit to the people of Plot 140 Muldersdrift, Plot 89 Nooitgedacht, Plot 78 Driefontein, Tsama Hantsi, Smoketown, Plot 6 Vlakplaats, Norman's Settlement in Tarlton, Mpandlane Plot RH 34 Hekpoort, Radikgomo Informal Settlement in Hekpoort, Plot 10 Hartbeesfontein, Plot H 26 Hartbeesfontein, the AIDS Haven (Botshabelo) in Magaliesburg just to name a few. In total R2.5 million was used in this regard benefiting over 4000 households. In addressing illegal dumping we conducted Clean-up campaigns in hotspots such as Boltonia, Azaadville, Apple Park, Swanieville and Munsieville. Clean-up operations were also conducted on vacant stands at Mogorosi Str, 1957 Themba drive and Cnr Themba & Mabalane Streets, all in Kagiso. We then followed these up with the posting of no dumping sings around the illegal dumping hotspots. On the side of refuse removal we placed containers in Muldersdrift, Rietfontein and Tshamahansi. Awareness education campaigns were also carried out in Hekpoort and Magaliesburg schools, while concrete pavement litter bins were placed in the following areas: 135 in the CBD, 12 in Kagiso, 6 in Magaliesburg, 5 in Munsieville and 10 in Azaadville. By-Law enforcement was also stepped up with a total of 55 notices issued around Kagiso and warnings issued to private stands. In this period we finalized and signed a Service Level Agreement with a service provider for the acceleration of the implementation of the process of registering indigents. In total, 532 potholes in wards 14, 15 and 19, including other areas in Kagiso/Lusaka/Azaadville were repaired and the rehabilitation of 3,2 km roads was done. This was coupled with the grading and completion of 185 km gravel roads across the city. In Kagiso Ext. 8 and Kagiso Ext. 12, 1,8 km and 1,9 km respectively, of roads and stormwater was also repaired. The Matla Combined School Access Road in Kromdraai stretching 0,7km as well as the Muldersdrift Cemetery Access Road and intersection stretching 0,4km were also completed. The total funds used in this regard were R2.4 million. The procurement of street and traffic lighting equipment and other material led to 2838 street lamps being replaced, 463 street poles planted and repaired. This covered places such as Kagiso, Krugersdorp West and North, Rietvallei, Azaadville and Chamdor. A new process of repairing was established, which was prioritized through complaints received. The turnaround time was improved to two weeks of receiving a complaint. Also during this period, 350 title deeds were signed. A notice to residents was placed in Digang Tsa Mogale, and this resulted in the collection of most of these title deeds. In GaMogale title deeds were also successfully distributed. In Pangoville a long strip was cleared for pedestrians, while the Thusong Women's Group Design's Food Garden was completed, irrigation connection installed, training completed, seedlings provided and planted. The municipality also assisted with the designs for Food Gardens in Munsieville. One of the most problematic issues was the lack of cemeteries for rural communities. For too long our people have had to bury their loved ones on the side of roads, or even travel long distances to do this. This plan also sought to do away with this unacceptable state of affairs. Just over two weeks ago, we joined the residents of Muldersdrift in celebrating the launch of a cemetery. At last, these residents have been afforded the opportunity to bid farewell to their loved ones in a dignified and respectful manner. The Vlakdrift cemetery was delayed by appeals lodged with the MEC for Agriculture, Conservation and Environment. The MEC has since dismissed the appeals and we are moving ahead with the project. The Hekpoort cemetery plan was also finalized and the budget secured. Madam Speaker it gives me great pleasure to report that the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment has issued a positive Record of Decision for the Hekpoort cemetery, thus giving further indication that this government is very serious about the improvement of people's lives. Just as we did in Muldersdrift, we will descend on Hekpoort before the end of this financial year to join the masses of our people in celebration of this important service delivery achievement. Other 100 Days Key Infrastructure projects and activities included discussions with the Gauteng Department of Housing to unlock outstanding and further housing projects. I am pleased to report that this has been successful as co-operation with the department has improved considerably. As a result, the department agreed to use the available balance of the Tranch payment to build houses in Rietvallei through an agreement with Motheo. In respect of Sinqobile Phase 2: the department has approved the relocation of people to serviced stand and the use of the balance of the budget to build houses. On the Munsieville Urban Renewal, a Provincial Task Team was established to co-ordinate activities, including the registration of beneficiaries for Horseshoe and Pango, which was completed within the stipulated timeframes. These registrations have informed us of the real needs of the people in the area, and also assisted us to determine whether the need is rental or home ownership. On the People's Housing Project, in Kagiso Ext. 12, 48 of the 75 houses we undertook to complete by the end of the 100 Days were completed and the remaining 27 were at roof level. In Rietvallei 300 foundations were completed and 79 houses at roof level. The 100 Day Plan also concerned itself with the CBD Clean-up campaign and notices were served by Public Safety on some traders to stop street trading. Ongoing follow up inspections and notices are being conducted, while workshops with Hawkers are being held on a continuous basis and/or until awareness levels are at a high. On the backlogs in approval of building plans the focus was to expedite the approval of most critical backlog building plans. While there are still challenges, the process has improved significantly. Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, we do not have time to cover all the projects in this 100 Day Plan. We are happy though with the successes achieved and take stock of the challenges. We would invite all residents of our city to familiarize themselves with this report. Madame Speaker, as stated above, everything that we have done and continue to do centers around what the supreme law of the land stipulates. It is on the understanding that this supreme law of the land recognizes that today still, the 'central challenge our government faces in the Second Decade of Freedom is to defeat poverty and substantially reduce the level of unemployment'. This means that as a sphere of government closest to the people, we must act in conjunction with both provincial and national government to 'produce a coherent developmental strategy... identifying where we need to move to and what strategic leaps we need to get there'. In this regard we must show what, over and above the short-term interventions we have spoken about, has occupied our time over the past 12 months, being the first year of this current administration after the local government elections of March 1, 2006, particularly in relation to what we said in our inaugural speech of May 2006. We must also show how we intend to strengthen our efforts in the next 12 months, so that indeed we go beyond the call of duty. Accordingly, let us now turn to those issues as captured by our Constitution. DEMOCRATIC AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES On the occasion of our inauguration, on the issue of democratic and accountable governance, we said in part: "...The internal processes of the municipality must ensure that the gains of the liberation struggle do in fact translate into real change for our people. In everything we do both as politicians and administrators, we must conduct ourselves in a manner that is responsible, accountable and rooted in the communities we serve." Madam Speaker the democratic structures of our municipality are well in place. The municipal council is properly constituted and the offices of the Executive Mayor, Speaker and Chief Whip are fully functional. The Mayoral Committee is properly constituted and functional. The section 80 advisory committees are also duly constituted and functional. We have learned that more work still has to be done to ensure that all the democratic structures are properly capacitated to execute their functions. Key among this is functional capacity building that would ensure that incumbents are properly trained in their area of responsibilities e.g. Advisory committee on Local Economic Development should be capacitated to identify and understand factors that drive the economy in general and the local economy of Mogale City in particular. We will be working with the office of the Speaker to develop policy framework for functional capacity building of political office bearers and councilors in general. We report on the activities and decisions made by our government to the general public and to special and ordinary council meetings on an on-going basis. In order to ensure that indeed we would strive to provide an accountable government, we enlisted the generous assistance of the Black Lawyers Association, who without charging us any legal fees, reviewed our legal compliance status in respect of compliance with core legislation and policy framework to ensure that we are accountable to the people of Mogale City. This process assisted us to develop a legal framework on roles and responsibilities of the councilors, the administration and local communities within Mogale City. We have also developed a delegation of powers system to ensure accountability and efficiency of our system of local government. These will be placed before council for adoption in due course. We would like to convey our sincere gratitude to the Black Lawyers Association for deploying the following attorneys who volunteered their valuable professional time and knowledge: Ms. Potie Dlepu, Mr. Makume, Ms. Tumi Mmusi, Ms. Bangi Mpitso and Mr. Weitcliff Mothuloe. A thorough process of establishing Ward Committees in all the 32 wards in our city was also undertaken under the watchful eye of our internationally recognized Independent Electoral Commission. It is pleasing that all ward committees in Mogale City have been successfully launched and are operational. There are a few challenges, such as the lack of office space for a few, budgetary constraints, security at ward offices, as well as staffing problems for these ward offices. Interventions are currently being considered, among those being the placement of Community Liaison Officers in the ward offices to ensure a sound and reliable administrative operation. This will be a phased approach. We call on all Ward councilors to co-operate with the office of the speaker in ensuring that indeed this powerful mechanism to hold government to account is functional within our City. While the first phase of the training has taken place, we will ensure by way of further capacity building interventions, that our ward committees are prepared to execute their functions that include- (a) Facilitating the establishment of a community based information system in the ward; (b) Identifying and assessing community needs and problems to be considered for both ward development plans and capital projects; (c) Suggesting poverty alleviation, and illiteracy eradication strategies to the municipality; (d) Preparing and evaluating development plans and/or proposals for the ward to be submitted to council for consideration in the IDP process; (e) Initiating, encouraging, supporting and participating in ward self-help projects and mobilize people, material, financial and technical assistance in relation thereto; (f) Monitoring and evaluating development plans as approved by the municipal council in terms of the performance management system of the municipality; (g) Contributing towards developing key performance indicators of the municipality's performance management system; (h) Assisting in the maintenance of law and order within the National Crime Prevention Strategy framework; (i) Serving as the communication channel between the council and the people in the ward; (j) Participating in the development of Local Economic Development strategy for the municipality; and, (k) Monitoring the disaster management plans of the municipality within the ward. On the issue of public participation we said in part: "...The issue must not be that of minimal compliance with the law, but it must about carrying out our task guided by the spirit of that law." Over and above the focus on establishing ward committees and making sure that they are fully functional, we established monthly Mayoral columns in partnership with three local newspapers, as well as encouraged the participation of residents in Community Policing Forums and Youth Forums. In the next month, we will be establishing more columns with local newspapers aimed at increasing the provision of democratic and accountable governance to local communities. These include Mayoral Committee and Council news columns. The intention will be to ensure that at all times, the people of Mogale City are aware of the activities and decisions of their public representatives including the opposition but also the challenges we have to contend with. The programme for the rest of the year also includes: post State of the City Mayoral briefings; usage of MPCC and other government department's offices as communication centres for the community; through a partnership with the South African Post Office, extend the distribution network of Dikgang Tsa Mogale so that it covers all areas of our city and not just Kagiso and Munsieville. Dikgang Tsa Mogale must be representative of the demographics of our city. A wider programme of engagement with various stakeholders is also already underway. The official website of the municipality requires serious revamping. It has several limitations like the lack of multi-language support; inefficient website content update mechanism - causing delays on information publishing; no feedback and interaction support for users to provide feedback and interaction with the municipality; inefficient search support for convenient retrieval of Mogale City information; poor support for SMMEs empowerment and so on. In response to this, we will be exploring solutions that will assist us to move from a static website to an interactive Local e-Government portal. In enabling the municipality to cover the main areas of e-Government and provide for its service delivery objectives, the solution must have the following features and/or functionalities: * A multi access channel strategy; * Disseminate information quickly to citizens, businesses and visitors; * Municipal information; * Political and administrative leadership information regarding contacts and portfolios; * Tender information; * Council meeting agendas and minutes; * Mogale City Emergency Services; and, * Mogale City Job market information, among other things. The website must also address our strategic imperatives. Ultimately, we believe that we must bring into the mix a solution that will assist us in pursuit of the strategic objectives and realization of our vision. PROVISION OF SERVICES TO COMMUNITIES IN A SUSTAINABLE MANNER On the same occasion of our inauguration, on the issue of providing services to communities in a sustainable manner, we said in part: "The provision of houses, security of tenure and free basic services will remain a key focus area for our municipality for years to come. Here we specifically give attention to those areas that restore the dignity of our people. We cannot continue to have a situation where there are people for who water and electricity are scarce luxuries. These are basic necessities, and the provision thereof gives real meaning to the spirit and specifics of our constitution as the most progressive in the world. Our country can only prosper if all of us enjoy the fruits of our freedom. We will explore every possible means, we will use every available resource to ensure that this becomes a reality." On the issue of housing, we have managed to place urgency on the Gauteng Department of Housing to implement shorter turn around times in relation to the TORPS programme wherein we are transferring all the old housing stock to their respective occupants. We are on track to finalise the entire process in Kagiso and Munsieville by November 2007. On the People's Housing Process, since July 2006 we have built 165 houses in Lusaka and 120 houses in Kagiso Ext. 12. This has created 60 jobs for locals. By the end of June 2007 we would have completed 300 houses in Lusaka and 250 in Kagiso Ext. 12. We have begun to work towards changing Munsieville for the better. The planning activities have largely been completed, the first area to be developed will be the Buffer zone which will accommodate residents who are currently leaving in squalor in the Horse Shoe area. This programme will be completed in the first quarter of 2010, although efforts are geared towards an earlier completion. The total public investment into this programme will be R120 million over 3 years. This will include the development of the proposed Munsieville Ext 5, Munsieville Ext 4 Phase 2, the acquisition of land whereon the proposed Munsieville Ext 6 will be developed as well as the conversion of the Munsieville Hostel and Commando land into a Social Housing development initiative. Even though this programme is funded to a large extent by the Gauteng Department of Housing we have insisted that local business and labour be employed where possible. Before the end of this fiscal year we will complete the construction of 715 houses in Rietvallei 5 Phase 2, while 430 houses will be built in Rietvallei 3A and 654 houses built in Sinqobile. In total these projects are valued at R46 million. We are also focusing at eradicating the top structure backlog in areas such as Rietvallei 2, 3B and Ext 5 Phase 1. We want to complete the construction of houses in these already serviced and habited areas so that we can shift our entire attention to focus on building new economically viable and sustainable human settlements. This depends on the support we would receive from the Gauteng Department of Housing, with whom we enjoy a very professional and service delivery focused relationship. Phase 1 of the conversion of the Kagiso hostel which will see the development of 500 family units will commence towards the end of this fiscal year. This project will cost R15 million. We hope to finalize the matter relating to the ownership and management of these units post conversion by end of this calendar year. Our aim is to ensure that the hostel is finally integrated with their surrounding communities. Madam Speaker, having mainstreamed rural development, we are also pleased to announce that the township establishment process is underway with regards to the housing project in Rietfontein Village. As we speak we are finalizing the beneficiary administration process, which when completed will give us a clear picture of the housing challenge in that area. We know that this project alone will never be able to address the housing need. As a result, we are already hard at work looking for more land that could complement this development. We hope that private land owners in that area will partner with us in addressing the housing shortage in Muldersdrift and other rural areas in general. On the other projects in Nooigedacht, Tarlton, Magaliesburg, Muldersdrift and Hekpoort we are confident that we will finalise the outstanding detailed planning in the next 2007/08 fiscal year. In total, all these projects will result in a minimum of 2000 housing units. If we follow the rationale of four people making up a household/family, then we would estimate that they would result in a minimum of 8000 people benefiting. We hope to reach consensus with the Managing Authority of the Cradle of Humankind as to the best ways to address the housing challenge of people currently leaving within the boundaries of this World Heritage site. Ultimately, all spheres of government must ensure that our people are not left homeless. Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to also announce that we have received 3 bids for our 1st flagship mixed housing project that addresses the question of integration and sustainability in our quest to meet our Millennium development goals. The proposed Kagiso-Azaadville project is our pride and joy, the second of its kind in our country, which represents the future of housing delivery. This project is valued at about R1 billion over 4 years and will result in thousands of housing units of different designs and offering more that one tenure option. It will have a significant impact on our economy by opening up new business opportunities. It also gives me even greater pleasure to declare that we are already working on our 2nd flagship project which will be located in the vicinity of the Leratong intersection. The emphasis of this project will be around the transport interconnectedness and mobility, in line with the Gauteng Transport Strategy as advocated by MEC Ignatius Jacobs. Again this will be a mix-use development focusing on all aspects of human need. For this project to realize its full potential, in terms of social and economic impact, it will require significant public and private sector investment and the participation of a number of sector departments, the state owned entities, and big business. We hope by the end of this fiscal year we would have made a concrete decision about the Green/Joshua Doore and Boiketlo hostels which are part of our plan to deliver affordable rental accommodation to those in need of such a housing product. On the Lanwen hostel a decision has already been taken by the municipality to purchase the hostel. We remain committed to looking at addressing the housing challenge in all its facets including the provision of affordable housing in the city centre of Mogale City thus bringing vibrancy to the CBD. Madam Speaker, for as long as there are people in this city that continue to live as second-class citizens, we will continue to prioritise housing as a key element of ensuring that indeed the fruits of freedom are enjoyed by all. On the Infrastructure side, it is important for us to note that the entire Infrastructure industry (water, roads, electricity and sanitation) in our country is highly challenged and Mogale City is no exception. Mogale City has experienced high increases in the demand over the last years. This required creative optimization of the already stretched infrastructure. Mogale City is in the process of reviewing the infrastructure master plan in an effort of ensuring a holistic approach in allocating the limited resources to various areas within the City. This plan will map a clear way forward in terms of rehabilitation, repairs, maintenance and developing new infrastructure within the national targets for service delivery. The first draft of this plan will be finalized by end of June 2007. In May 2006 we spoke about the enhancement and upgrade of Low Voltage Infrastructure; the development and upgrade of the Muldersdrift electricity supply; the upgrade of the Chamdor and Factoria supply; the upgrade and replacement of outdated traffic lights; the refurbishment of old Sub-stations; and, Roads and Stormwater in Muldersdrift, Magaliesburg, Hekpoort, Tarlton as well as in Kagiso and Lusaka as key infrastructure projects. On Water and Sanitation we spoke about the refurbishment of Percy Stewart Water Care Works; the Lusaka Pump Station development; Rural Water and Sanitation; Water Demand Management; Prepaid Water Meters; and the Muldersdrift reservoir and outfall sewer. In this regard we are happy to report, Madam Speaker, that Mogale City has implemented the following electricity projects over the last 12 months to meet electricity demands: * The upgrading of the Factoria and Chamdor Substations to improve electricity supply to these industrial consumers at a cost of R15 million; * A new 33 000 Volt transmission line to Chamdor at a cost of R5,5 million; * The establishment of a new distribution substation at Pinehaven on a Public Private Partnership costing R9 million. In support of the substation construction a transmission line to the value of R10 million is currently being constructed by the municipality. * Munsieville Ext 4 will be electrified in the next month. This project will cost just over R1 million. We have also spent just over R4 million on ongoing repairs and maintenance of roads and storm water networks. A road re- surfacing programme is currently underway in various areas in the City. As part of the ongoing repairs and maintenance, the programme caters for the grading of 65km of roads in the City. It is pleasing also to report that through these projects we have created at least 110 temporary job opportunities for the people of Mogale City. Madam Speaker we have also spent just over R 16,9 million to date to fund our water and sanitation projects. These include Rural Water and Sanitation projects, upgrade of the Percy Stewart Waste Water Works as well as the upgrade of the Lusaka Ext Sewer infrastructure. All planning processes of the Muldersdrift Reservoir have been completed and the tender for the construction will be advertised in due course. This project will benefit over 70 000 consumers. We have also procured a total of 2000 pre-paid water meters in aid of the indigent management programme. This project is valued at R4,1 million. Given the challenges faced by our country on water resources, on Water Demand Management we have partnered Rand Water in a programme that achieved a reduction on water losses by 4% over the past 12 months. This project is ongoing with an aim of achieving the industry norms. The Electricity industry is currently in a restructuring phase to obtain sustainability and parity in the electricity industry amongst municipalities and Eskom. The Department of Minerals and Energy has established the Electricity Distribution Holding Company to drive the restructuring process. The roll out plan will be communicated with the public in due course. The electricity sector restructuring process will be critical in meeting the national target on electricity universal access by 2012. Improvement of the electricity prepaid vending systems, in order to improve accessibility of services to the community, streetlight repairs, upgrading of sub-stations, network and improving security of the assets will be ongoing. In keeping with the national targets on reduction of backlogs by 2009, roads and storm water infrastructure and the public facilities will be upgraded across the city. Substantial inroads will be made in upgrading infrastructure in the previously marginalized townships within the City. The completion of the upgrade of the Percy Stewart Waste Water Works will be accelerated to facilitate the development and growth of the City. Ongoing rural water and sanitation supply will remain at an accelerated rate in ensuring that our people enjoy an improved quality of service. We will work with various strategic government partners in an effort to increase our pace in meeting the National targets on infrastructure. We will also continue to work with various stakeholders including the private sector and parastatals in order to ensure sustainable infrastructure delivery. Madam Speaker I am on record in expressing my utmost desire to ensure that our people who live in the rural areas also feel that they are part of this new democracy. However, we have found serious challenges confronting us in our bid to address in some instances the sub-human and squalid conditions under which they live. These challenges include but are not limited to: * The high prevalence of evictions; * Insufficient financial and human resources for project implementation; * Poor inter-governmental relations; * Urban edge restrictions; * Land owner objections to municipal developmental initiatives; and, * Poor communication. We have started to engage landowners in these areas with the view to find very amicable solutions to the right of land tenure. The overwhelming majority of landowners want to work with us. We are humbled by some of our compatriots like Mr. Allan King who deemed it fit on his own accord to sub-divide his land and share it with his employees by offering them full title to the divided land. We wish that this gesture of goodwill and Ubuntu could prevail throughout our city. To Mr. King, we thank you and God bless. Development of the two acquired commonage land portions for which invitation for proposals have already been done is also a point of focus. The projects would contribute immensely towards food security, job creation, youth and women empowerment. They will further contribute towards positioning the municipality as a strong agricultural hub within the broader Gauteng Global City Region initiative. We will further explore the establishment of an agricultural training hub in line with the Gauteng Agricultural Development Strategy. PROMOTE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT On the issue of the promotion of social development we talked specifically about youth development and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. On youth development we remain committed to setting up a youth unit with support staff within the Office of the Executive Mayor. This unit will look after matters relating to youth development and gender issues. This process is at an advanced stage. The roles and responsibilities of this unit will include: * Providing guidance and advice to eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender; * Encouraging equal opportunities for women in recreational facilities, health services, housing, education and community services; * Encouraging equal opportunities for women in employment and career development; * Conducting educational programs; * Submitting an annual report on the Committee's vision for youth and making recommendations to the Council on youth-related programs; * Analysing the impact of youth programs and services, measured against indicators of the well-being of the youth; * Making recommendations regarding municipal funding for youth programs and services, and * Coordinating the relationship between the Provincial Youth Commission and local youth structures like the Centre for Youth Development in Kagiso. We must emphasise that this unit will be fully funded so that its programmes are effective particularly in relation to reaching its target audience. Another key initiative is in partnership with the Centre for Youth Development, based in Kagiso. We have been engaging with them with the view of putting together a joint strategy and programme on the establishment of youth co-operatives across our city as part of a broader partnership to deal decisively and positively with the issue of uplifting our young people. We know that this must happen if we are to ensure that young people's lives are improved, and that they take their rightful place in our society's development. These youth co-operatives will be armed with Life Skills training, Entrepreneurship training and Technical skills, and further be assisted to access business opportunities both in the public and private sectors. We will involve other stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive approach to this project. The issue of HIV/AIDS also remains a top priority, as part of a national effort to ensure co-ordination and consolidation, and thus strengthen our fight to deal a serious and permanent blow to this disease. We remain committed to a comprehensive and holistic approach to this problem. The Mogale City Local Aids Council has been reconstituted and revived. It meets regularly to consider matters pertaining to efforts to strengthen our response to the scourge of HIV and AIDS. Through the work of volunteers, we have identified more than 400 orphans and child headed homes. Our Social Workers are already working on these cases. In November 2006 Mogale City Local Municipality established a new ARV site full with accreditation. As a result, the people of Hekpoort, Tarlton and Magaliesburg, whereas in the past they had to travel to Kagiso, can now access ARV treatment much closer to home. The municipality also works in partnership with NGO's responsible for HIV/AIDS by funding them through the Grants-in-Aid programme. On the security side we are happy to report that more of our clinics, including Rietvallei 2 and 3 as well as Tarlton, have had alarm systems installed. We will launch Jan Maree Clinic as a fully fledged Primary Health care clinic as of April 1, 2007, while the container at Eric Ndeleni clinic will start operating to relieve work pressure due to space problems. With the assistance of mobile clinics, immunization cover is at 98% as at December 2006. We will embark on Measles/Polio campaign in May and June 2007. As part of the Reproductive Health Month last month, a programme of successful workshops was embarked upon to raise awareness on teenage pregnancy, one of them being at Swanneville. These programmes will continue so that there is a comprehensive approach to the health and well being of our people. Madam Speaker it is important also for us to report that the personnel situation at our clinics has improved tremendously. More staff has been employed, including registered nurses, who together sub health ward committees, in total 130, receive regular training. We also had 40 nursing students at various clinics for practicals during 2006. We currently have a team of 9 Social Workers who were deployed in the various areas of Mogale City. Each one of them heads a programme for the Aged, Women, the Disabled, Children, Indigents, and Youth. Through this structure we have: * Assisted 15 families with Indigent burials in Munsieville, Muldersdrift, Rietvallei, Kagiso and Soul City; * Assisted 47 families with food parcels in Munsieville, Muldersdrift, Rietvallei, Kagiso and Soul City; * Trained 35 NGO's on domestic violence; * Registered 5 luncheon clubs for older persons for funding by the Provincial Department of Social Development; * Trained 35 youth, in partnership with Lifeline, on peer counseling, teenage pregnancies, HIV & AIDS and substance abuse; * Assisted 210 people through counseling and referrals in the multi- purpose centers. Besides the reconstruction of Jan Maree clinic, we will also be looking at strengthening the work of volunteers to improve work performance; open negotiations with the authority responsible for funding of HIV/AIDS programmes to review the volunteer stipend so that retention rates are improved; strengthen NGO's and ward councilors to be more responsive to conditions on the ground in relation to HIV/AIDS in particular; roll-out more ARV sites so that more clinics are able to provide the service; and establish forums for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS for support. As a city we are also playing our part in the provincialization of primary health care services as part of government's efforts to strengthen service delivery. We are committed to this process. Madam Speaker as part of accelerating the rate at which we provide services to the people, an external service provider, DebtPack, was brought on board during 2006. Their main function was to help undertake a socio-economic survey and register indigent households. The socio-economic survey has been undertaken in Kagiso, Sinqobile, Munsieville, Apple Park, Azaadville, Rietvallei, Krugersdorp North, Quellerie Park, and Lewisham. A total of 33016 survey forms have been completed, which is 89%. Of these, 31778 surveys have returned to the client, which is 85%. We initially envisaged a much faster procedure and expected verification to be completed by now. The task has been enormous and along the way we naturally encountered challenges. To date 2192 new applications for indigency have been approved and 6780 have been disapproved. To hasten the verification, our external service provider will assume the verification role. This will add a vast increase to both approved and disapproved applications in a very short period. For the Indigents, once approved, this will mean that outstanding debts will be cleared and pay as you go metres will be installed in their homes. Indeed, the other objective of the programme, besides to identify Indigent and vulnerable members of our society and alleviate some of their burden, is to identify those who are in a position to pay so that we can recover everything that is rightfully due to the municipality. Our financial report has started showing positive growth in this regard. Going forward, we are strengthening our mutual relationship with our social partners in the education and social services sectors. We are currently establishing a co-operative governance forum called the Social Development Cluster consisting of the stakeholders operating in the social development area within Mogale City. These stakeholders are: * The Department of Education; * The Department of Social Development; * The Department of Health; * The Department of Home Affairs; and, * NGO's. We believe that through this forum we would be able to develop a comprehensive social development programme and have a uniform implementation strategy to deal with the social problems confronting our people. We will work with the South Western Gauteng Colleges, the Further Education and Training College in Mogale City to find ways of encouraging our students to enroll for technical studies offered by this institution. As a municipality we have taken a conscious political decision to shift our focus from grant allocations because the experience has been that these organizations cease to exist once the funds have been received. Going forward we will be investing into the future by granting bursaries to best performing students who want to further their studies, and the focus will be on these technical colleges (FETs) without excluding other tertiary institutions. It goes without saying that preference will be given to people with poor backgrounds. We hope this will serve as a motivating factor for those who want to further their studies and do not have the means to do so. We are continuing with the strategic relationships with Monash University South Africa and currently determining ways of collaboration on research and capacity building interventions for our human resources within the City. We are also working closely with the University of South Africa also around the areas of research and capacity building. In this regard, we are happy also to report that Mogale City will be co-hosting and participating in the cultural and social events of the Distance Education Association of Southern Africa hosted by Unisa on 16-18 March 2007. This is in line with establishing links with knowledge centers in our quest to break new intellectual ground so that we can further fast-track service delivery. We are pleased also to announce that one of the Special Mayoral projects we are embarking on is the SIFE South Africa projects. At the invitation of Harmony Gold, we will be hosting a group of university students who will be working on a service delivery project, as articulated in our IDP. Once the project has been identified, the students, under the guidance of their professor will put together a strategy, complete with an implementation plan with the view of assisting us in our service delivery drive. It provides us with extra intellectual capacity, free of charge. Fully funded by Harmony Gold, this will also provide the students with an opportunity to grow, whilst getting a feel of local government, hopefully resulting in more of them choosing a career in local government. At the end of the process, a judging process will take place later this year to determine the overall winners on the basis of the work done, including whether these plans pass the implementation test. Whatever the outcome, the municipality will then choose whether the plan is worth implementing. Harmony Gold has offered to play a significant role in ensuring that proper funding is raised should the decision be to implement the plan. On the Sports side we have focused on upgrading sports facilities like the Lusaka Sports Complex as well as the Johanna Botha Park as an alternative for users of Bob van Reenen, in partnership with Lefika Emerging Equity. The upgrading process at Kagiso Ext 13, Rietvallei 2 and 3 and Munsieville sports complexes is nearing completion. Theft and vandalism at Kagiso Ext 13 has been an area of concern, but through working with the community we are confident that we will overcome this problem. Madam Speaker we have also moved to review and formalize the situation around the leasing of sports facilities. A policy in this regard was finalized and approved by the Mayoral Committee. During May 2006 we also undertook a stakeholder consultation process. In November 2006 we established an Interim Committee that is charged with the responsibility of drafting a constitution that will lay the ground for the formation of the Mogale City Sports Council. This Council will be established at the end of March 2007. It gives me great pleasure also announce that the municipality has appointed a Project Manager for 2010 World Cup and beyond. This will ensure proper co-ordination and focus particularly to make sure the people of our city do in fact benefit from this event. Madam Speaker our Libraries are operating at reasonably acceptable levels. We have assisted 338 821 users. The Library Outreach Programme was also extended to three schools, namely Ebenhaeser, Westrand School for the disabled and Muldersdrift primary school, wherein learners were educated about the importance of books, reading and African Culture in the context of multiculturism. I am pleased also to report that Mogale City will be hosting the Rugby Craven Week from 1-6 July 2007, in partnership with local schools. This will be the first time in the history of craven week that this prestigious event will be held in Mogale City. This event will also include participants from as far as Zimbabwe and Namibia. The municipality will play a role in assisting the local organizers to make this a huge success. It goes without saying that the benefits for the city in hosting an event of this magnitude are massive. We congratulate the local organizers and welcome their invitation for the municipality to participate. On the issue of the promotion of economic development we said in part: "We pledge to accelerate the pace at which we pursue the general local economic development of the city, with initiatives like the Munsieville CBD, Leratong Intersection, an Incentives Programme for CBD Renewal, the Ithembalethu and Rietfontein rural settlements, the Coronation Park/Bob van Reenen initiatives and others... Focus will also be on Economic Growth and Skills Development with specific focus on job creation with the municipality playing the role of enabler, encouraging an entrepreneurship spirit among the people of the city by providing adequate support for SMMEs, particularly for women, people living with disabilities, youth and rural communities." Madam Speaker, through our open-door policy, my office is constantly engaging with business and other key economic role players with the view to promote economic development in the city. In aid of this, work will be done to investigate incentive investment packages to facilitate inward investment. A comprehensive report in this regard will be placed before Council in due course. I have taken note of some regional economic development initiatives. The WRDM has established the West Rand Development Agency and we believe that this vehicle can assist in addressing our economic challenges. This Agency was launched as part of the West Rand Growth and Development Summit held last year to create a focus on the things that must assist us to further economic growth in our region. In partnership with the West Rand District Municipality and our sister municipalities, we are moving ahead to implement the outcomes of the Summit, so that ultimately, the development and growth of our region can be accelerated. More specifically, our municipality will be adopting the resolutions of the Growth and Development summit as part of its IDP for the coming financial year. We are happy to report that the Cobra Watertech Company intends relocating their business from Springs to Mogale City during the course of this year. This will result in further investment in the economy of the city to the tune of R400 million and the creation of 400 new jobs. We are working with Cobra to facilitate their smooth relocation and welcome them to Mogale City. Let me also take this opportunity to welcome Devin Cabinet Doors, a company under Mr. Bruce Pearson that has recently relocated from Skeerpoort in the North West to Mogale City. They are situated in the Chamdor Industrial area. We are also busy working with First Tech Galvanisers, a company that intends to relocate from Benoni to our Chamdor Industrial area. This company galvanizes a full range of steel products. Currently galvanizing in excess of 400 tons monthly, this investment will create a total 160 employment opportunities. The Pratley Manufacturing and Engineering Company intends building a chemical plant in Mogale City, which would be the second of its kind in the world. This will not only create jobs for our people but it would also assist to profile our city as a place to invest and to live. Madam Speaker, allow us this opportunity to also salute the Bosasa Group of Companies who have gone against the trend. Whereas others moved their businesses to more fashionable areas, Bosasa spent millions of rands in an office park situated near the CBD. Their action is testimony to the fact that indeed, Mogale City is a place to invest in. At the same time, construction on the Casino development along the R28 has commenced. We are happy to report that approximately 350 locals have already been employed. We receive a monthly report from the project developers in order to update these figures as the development progresses. Further, a community liaison officer has been appointed to oversee this aspect. On the procurement side, our agreement with the developer has always been that they must procure locally where possible. However, when this procurement is not available, they must always seek to strike partnerships between outsiders and locals, so that we can also amongst others address the issue of skills and knowledge transfer. The Amakhosi Stadium has opened an opportunity for the city to actively participate in the 2010 FIFA soccer world cup. The construction of the stadium will continue soon after all the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports have been finalized by GDACE. Mogale City, in partnership with Kaizer Chiefs and Lefika, are transforming the Bob van Reenen and Jan Lotz stadiums into a world-class state-of-the-art, FIFA compliant facility with 55,000 seats. The stadium is scheduled to be completed by the end of May 2009. As a result, we will be entering into a co-operation agreement with the City of Johannesburg to make the stadium available to them as a training or viewing venue during the period of the 2010 soccer tournament. The intended co-operation agreement between the City of Johannesburg and Mogale City is also meant to open many opportunities for the people of Mogale City as presented by the FIFA 2010 soccer world cup. We will in due course be conducting workshops to alert our people to these opportunities so that they can start preparing themselves to participate in the economic activities of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Our role is to ensure that our people are not left wondering what happened long after the soccer spectacle was held. The construction of the stadium would also create economic opportunities for our people to participate as suppliers of goods and services. Interested members of the public would be advised through radio and newspapers to register onto a database of suppliers of goods and services. This also applies to employment opportunities. Adjacent to the stadium is the current Coronation Park, a portion of which will become a National Sports Academy that will accommodate about 12 500 children of 12 years and younger. This facility will host all the Olympic sporting codes which include rowing, swimming, equestrian sports and rugby. Environmental considerations remain key to this development. I have said before, this boosts our position to become the Gauteng capital of sport, in line with establishing Gauteng as the "Home of Champions". Madam Speaker we are currently in negotiations with Bitou Municipality (Western Cape Province) for a twinning arrangement. I am pleased to report though that the benefits of the envisaged relationship are already coming our way. In view of the existing relationship they have with the Voka East-Flanders' Chamber of Commerce, supported by the Belgian Government, we have been included in two initiatives on SMME development. The first initiative is called PLATO - and deals with the mentoring of SMMEs by experienced professionals to share information and best practice. The second is an initiative called Ex-Change - which avails experts in different fields, including university professors, to SMMEs for a period of between two to four weeks. So for example for someone who has set up a tourism business, Ex-change will fly down an expert in tourism to spend time with this entrepreneur to look at the entire business model. These programmes are funded by the Belgian Government. More information will be made available to interested parties as part of a structured programme to complement our Enterprise Development initiatives. Madam Speaker, one of the biggest tourist attractions to our city is the Cradle of Humankind. We will engage the management of Maropeng with the view to establishing a working relationship to support the initiative and position the city accordingly. We will work together with the relevant stakeholders to ensure that our local tourism establishments are graded and have proper signage to facilitate the smooth flow of tourism into the area. Resources will be mobilized to initiate tourism route developments in the area including the development of an integrated tourism information directory. We will participate in various tourism promotional events and campaigns with a view to promote Mogale City as a preferred international and domestic tourism destination. We will also assist our non hotel establishments for them to be compliant to MATCH criteria, the organization mandated by FIFA to co-ordinate the accommodation and ticketing for the 2010 Soccer WORLD Cup. Further exploration of the most feasible routes of establishing township based tourism, will be embarked upon and we will endeavor to mainstream township cultural activities. With regard to the Museum upgrading - aimed at creating a centre of heritage excellence, visitor attraction and a learning institution, we will embark on the final design phase. We will facilitate the establishment of the Mogale City Arts and Craft Centre to serve as an anchor project of the Gauteng Creative Industries Strategy framework. The centre will enhance the contribution of the creative industries into the economic development of the municipality through economic opportunities, skills development and serve as a cultural entertainment hub of Mogale City. Together with relevant fraternal stakeholders, we will endeavor to grow and develop the sector through vigorous stakeholder engagement processes. To this end a Heritage, Arts and Culture Indaba is planned for the end of March 2007. The indaba will strive towards forging closer working relationships with the stakeholders, developing an all inclusive common vision and approach to the development of the industry for the benefit of the community. We will continue to provide the necessary support and capacity building efforts to the creative practitioners. Equally important, we are hard at work to finalize the development of the Kagiso and Swanieville Memorial projects. Also on the cards is the initiation of the planning phase of the Munsieville memorial project. These projects are about paying tribute and recognizing the role played by the people of Mogale City in the struggle for liberation. These projects are also meant as a permanent reminder that we must never return to where we come from, where the oppression of one by another was the order of the day. We commit our LED department to achieve the following milestone during the financial year 2007/8: * Identify issues that obstruct economic growth in former black areas and stimulate economic activity in those areas; * Supporting job creation programs such as community public works programmes; * Supporting SMMEs, notwithstanding the East-Flanders and Ex-change programmes; * Developing programs which will create business and employment opportunities for the local communities; * Setting realistic targets to ensure that certain percentage of the municipal procurement should go to business owned and controlled by people with disabilities, youth and women or to private sector enterprises that employ people with disabilities, youth and women, as well as to enterprises owned and located in our city; * Profiling the municipality through an elaborate marketing strategy, which must refer to opportunities, good governance, skills base and local institutions supporting the economy; * Promoting and encouraging tourism; * Promoting and encouraging agriculture; * Mobilizing and assisting women and youth to form economic corporatives; * Engaging business, banking sector, agriculture, Institutions of Higher Education, Department of Trade and Industry and other key economic role players; * Developing and recommending industrial development strategies; * Developing municipal plans to create employment opportunities; * Developing the municipality's Local Economic Development strategy; * Promoting the facilities, restaurants, attractions, retail businesses and events within the municipality in order to maximize tax revenues and to share the hospitality and unique heritage of the different towns with visitors; and, * Promoting industry and developing trade by recommending best practices to the Council, in order to encourage manufacturing, industrial, governmental and commercial enterprises to locate or remain in the District. The LED department will further have the responsibility: * For the archaeological and prehistoric sites in the municipality; * Coordinating projects to encourage and achieve the beautification of the District; * Supporting the development and expansion of the arts in the District; and, * Developing and recommending a Tourism Plan for the Municipality. PROMOTE A SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT Madam Speaker, we are working closely with the relevant stakeholders in the areas of safety, health and the environment. On Public Safety we are in the process of finalizing the establishment of the local co-operative governance forum called Criminal Justice Cluster. This forum would be constituted of the local South African Police Services, Department of Justice in the Krugersdorp Magistrates' Court, Correctional Services at the Krugersdorp Prison, South African National Defense Force at the West Rand Command and private security companies. Similar to the local Social Development Cluster, we believe that through this forum we would be able to develop a comprehensive safety programme and have uniform implementation strategy to deal with crime within our city. To this end we commit our public safety department to: * Implement the National Crime Prevention Strategy; * Develop together with other stakeholders, a local crime prevention strategy; * Work with communities to fight crime; * Ensuring co-operation between the municipal traffic officers, local Magistrate's court, Business against Crime, the South African Police Service, the South African National Defense Force and private security companies; * Designing community infrastructure, which is conducive to a safe and secure environment, such as providing street lighting, dealing with vacant buildings and improving public transport safety and security; * Ensuring effective crime prevention as well as road policing to minimize traffic accidents; * Implementing Arrive Alive Campaigns; * Participating in the provincial and national government traffic and emergency development programmes; * Ensuring that the Public Safety Service is trained on human rights issues and respect for the rule of law; and, * Encouraging street trading within the demarcated areas. We are renewing the partnership with the Mogale Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the patrolling of the CBD to increase visible policing. The MCCI has indicated that they intend extending this to neighboring areas, which we support. We are also in the process of finalizing a partnership for the strategic placement of CCTV cameras around the CBD. This is further testimony of our resolve to attract business back into the CBD, and thus increase the number of potential employment and business opportunities for our people. The Mayoral Committee has recently also approved a Ward-based scholar patroller programme to free up traffic officers so that visible policing can be strengthened as well as to create employment opportunities. Madam Speaker crime is everybody's problem. There is no single entity that claim to have all the answers to this problem on its own. We call on all our people to unite against crime, participate in their local CPF and be part of the solution. Apart from our activities on health and clinics as stated above, our Integrated Environmental Management also embarked on a number of initiatives. On Parks Management we have already identified and confirmed grant funding for Rural cemetaries to the tune of R2.8 million from the West Rand District Municipality and just over R1 million from the MIG. We have also established a Rural Cemeteries Task Team which is chaired by Clr. Sipho Dube. The Tarlton Cemetery is also going ahead, with the construction of the ablution facilities due to commence at the end of March 2007 and be completed by 30 June 2007. The Rangeview Reservoir is also going ahead as approved by the MEC for GDACE. Our infrastructure department is busy finalizing tender specifications. Madam Speaker the municipality has also planted 1311 trees during the first half of its 2006/2007 financial year. This is in line with its target of 1000 trees over this current financial year. A total of 17, 500 seedlings were distributed to food garden projects from July 2006 as part of the Municipality's poverty alleviation and food security programmes. Beneficiaries, of which there are 108, from these food gardens received training on 27 -28 September 2006. There are currently 18 active groups that are supported by the municipality across our city. On Integrated Waste Management the municipality has completed the cell which was the extension of the old landfill. The cell is fully operational and permitted and it has an estimation of about 10 years air space. Construction of Drop off facilities will commence in Kagiso and Munsieville. These two facilities will assist the community to safely dispose off their garden and building rubble nearby. Public Participation has been done and communities fully support the projects. On Integrated Environmental Management we have published the Urban Greening and Bio-Diversity By-Laws, Cemetery By-Laws, Crematorium By-Laws, Integrated Waste Management By-Laws, Integrated Pest Management By-Laws and Parks By-Laws in an Extraordinary Provincial Gazette Volume 13 No 4 on 11 January 2007. The By-Laws have been subjected to public participation and were approved by the Municipal Council in 2006. Subsequent to gazetting of By-Laws on 11 January 2007, the first offender was identified by Cllr Plaatjie and DIEM was informed timeously. Due to the swift response by DIEM - a R2 000 fine was paid on 29 January 2007. These By-Laws will be strictly enforced as part of ensuring that the city becomes competitive. An Indigent Burial Policy was also developed to assist indigent people with burial space at no cost. The Policy and Procedures on the cleaning of Private Vacant Stands was developed to assist the Municipality and the community in cleaning overgrown private properties, which have become a public nuisance and health hazard. Madam Speaker I am proud also to report that the Mogale City Local Municipality won the Bontle ke Botho Category B Municipality in December 2006, subsequent to the Launch of BkB by MEC Mosunkutu in June 2006, right here in our city. Mogale City also won a Bronze medal award in the Sunday Tribune Garden & Leisure show as well as the Garden World Spring Festival. These provided a very good platform for our city to show what it is about. To further ensure that we provide a healthy environment, we commit to: 1) Develop a Disaster Management Plan in consultation with key stakeholders and in accordance with the needs of local communities; 2) Embarking on an educational campaign to educate local communities about the proper use of our environmental resources and to encourage recycling; 3) Ensuring that the Municipality complies with multilateral international protocols and conventions ratified and or entered into by the Republic of South Africa; and, 4) Ensuring that the Municipality develops and adopts local Agenda 21 as envisaged in the UN convention on sustainable development. ENCOURAGE THE INVOLVEMENT OF COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS IN MATTERS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT Madam Speaker as we mentioned, the situation around ward committees is being closely watched. This represents the main point of encouraging and ensuring the involvement of our communities in the process of governance. We have also spoken about the efforts to strengthen the municipal newspaper Dikgang Tsa Mogale so that it reaches all parts of our city as well as upgrading the municipal website so that it becomes user-friendly and interactive. One of the Mayoral programmes involves regular sessions with community organizations including landowners' organizations, business structures, NGOs such that there is maximum participation from community organizations. The IDP and Budget processes also represent an opportunity for the involvement of the community in the affairs of local government. Every year our political and administrative leadership always goes on road-shows to consult the community, while also inviting input so that municipal priorities are properly informed. To further enhance our relations in line with South African Foreign policy imperatives regarding municipal international relations, the municipality has signed a memorandum of understanding with Wujiang City Government of the People's Republic of China on 14 November 2006. The purpose of this memorandum is to collaborate with Wujiang City Government on the following areas: economy, trade, science and technology, culture, education, sports, health and generally to promote common prosperity and development. In its quest to realize the implementation of the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act, and foster cooperative governance, with a draft twinning agreement already in place, our municipality is having discussions with Bitou Municipality in the Western Cape with the intention of twinning with them, as I have already said. This is envisaged to take place towards the end of April this year. The Executive Mayors from the two municipalities have already met and agreed on areas of collaboration for the benefit of their communities. In addition to this, a process of resuscitating our friendship with the City of Matlosane will also be embarked upon. We are part of the District Executive Mayor's Intergovernmental Forum geared at amongst others ensuring strategic linkage with our District Municipality as well as our sister municipalities, in the wider context of strengthening Gauteng as a Competitive Global City Region. I must emphasise that we fully support the concept as demonstrated by our Mayoral Committee and Council resolutions. We believe that efforts to strengthen Gauteng as a Competitive Global City Region will bear benefits for our people. Also to this end, we will be undertaking, together with our District Municipality, a project to identify shared services so that we are able to minimize duplication and enhance our regional focus. In line with the South African Geographical Names Council Act, we have also embarked on a process of establishing the Mogale City Local Geographical Names Committee. The nominations process is already completed. One of the first tasks of this committee would be to deal with one aspect of the Gauteng Premier, Honourable Mbhazima Shilowa's announcement to rename Main Reef Road after the champion of human rights, Albertina Sisulu. The Committee will be launched by the end of April this year. One of the challenges of service delivery is the issue of making it easy and convenient for residents to access services. The municipality had started on a project to establish a Call Centre which was meant to do exactly this. Following discussions with the MEC for Finance and Economic Affairs, Mr. Paul Mashatile, we have struck a partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Government to jointly establish a Call Centre in Mogale City. Whereas the initial plan was to have a Call Centre with 12 seats, this partnership will see us establish a 150 seat Call Centre. Besides the benefits of ensuring services not only of Mogale City Local Municipality but of the entire Gauteng Provincial Government, this initiative brings with it much-needed job opportunities for our people in this ever-growing industry. FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY Madam Speaker the constitution requires us to strive to achieve all the above within our financial and administrative capacity. To this end, we have sought to conduct a brutally honest assessment of our administrative structure, with particular linkage to that which is our constitutional duty. One of the results of the Strategic Planning session held last year was a review of our management structure. Whereas we have 13 directors, we have now taken a decision to make some changes. These changes are driven by the following considerations: that the structure must be cost-effective - as flat as possible; that the workload on each directorate must be balanced; that we must avoid silos; that there must be a logical grouping of activities; that there must be minimum duplication and overlaps; that the driver must be delivery; that the structure must support our core business and strategy; and, that the structure must be aligned to our service delivery objectives and mandate. Consequently, the structure will change from 13 directorates to 6 directorates. The six directorates will be made up of Infrastructure Services, Social Services, Economic Services, Environmental Management, Municipal Financial Management and Corporate Support Services. Performance Management contracts for our senior managers have also been completed. Within the next two weeks all critical posts will be advertised. Madam Speaker our city is emerging from fairly severe economic woes consequenced by the high costs of borrowed capital raised during previous years. In addition, financial constraints resulting from non - payment for municipal services, a large debtor-book and enormous unaccounted for water and electricity losses aggravated the position further. Over the past year a concerted effort to improve liquidity and debt-equity has been undertaken. Conservative cash-flow procedures and financing has had the effect of improving the sustainability and financial viability of the Municipality. Notwithstanding these prudent financial measures Mogale City has been able to maintain its high standard of service delivery. Credit control measures and revenue generation strategies will rank high on the priority list to enable the Municipality to finance its operational expenditure with additional funds becoming available for investment in capital and infrastructure development. The indigent management process, albeit starting slowly is now beginning to be implemented much faster. Accordingly basic services are being made available to the poor whilst those who have the means are expected to pay for their services, as mentioned earlier. More stringent debt collection measures and "cut - off" programmes are to be implemented to ensure the sustainability of the municipality whilst being committed to excellence in service delivery. Alongside the administrative review mentioned above, we commit our finance department to: * Ensure that the Council complies with all financial regulations and legislation; * Ensuring and securing optimum utilization of council assets; * Investigating effective ways to enforce credit control; * Finding best ways and means to increase and generate income for the Council; * Strengthening the Masakhane (let's build together) campaign with improved services for all to inculcate the culture of payment within our city; * Ensuring prudent and efficient financial management of the municipality; * Ensuring that the municipality's assets register is compiled and properly maintained; * Advising and supporting the Municipal Council by examining the budget procedures and processes; * Recommending ways of improving the budget process within the framework of the enabling legislation, including increasing participation by local committees; * Put in place effective administrative mechanisms, processes and procedures to give effect to the Credit Control and Debt Collection Policy and any related by-laws; and, * Reporting quarterly to the council meeting on the progress made in the implementation of the Credit Control and Debt Collection Policy. Madam Speaker we also commit our human resources directorate to: * Ensure that structures of the municipality reflect the appropriate diversity of Mogale City communities at all levels; * Undertake periodic gender audits and developing career paths for women to ensure better representation at all levels of the Municipality; * Ensuring the municipality's sensitivity to the needs and aspirations of disabled persons, by means of- a) Ensuring that all municipal buildings are user-friendly and accommodative to disabled persons, and b) Ensuring that at least a specific percentage of the municipality's workforce consists of disabled persons; * Guide the Municipality to maintain the portion of expenditure designated for salaries and administration while increasing the portion designated for delivery of infra-structural development and municipal services; * Promote the principles of the Batho Pele campaign which encourages new attitudes and cultures among municipal staff in serving the public, by means of- a) Monitoring the manner and efficiency with which officials deal with the public, b) Introducing incentives for officials who epitomize the culture of Batho Pele, and c) Ensuring that officials adhere strictly to the Code of Conduct in the performance of their jobs and their interaction with the public; * Improving municipal management by means of- a) Undertaking periodic detailed skill audits and job evaluation exercises; b) Ensuring management training for enhanced efficiency and productivity; c) Introducing mentoring and induction programmes to ensure the success of Affirmative Action Policies; d) Putting in place a Performance Management Framework for the administration and performance of Council; e) Filling of top management posts in compliance with the Employment Equity Act; and, f) Monitoring compliance with the Skills Development Act. Madam Speaker, some of the problems we have are around our inability to make informed decisions due to the unavailability of documented and accurate information. The general challenge has to do with our inability to instantaneously retrieve critical information such as Council resolutions, applicable by-laws and any other relevant pieces of information. While these problems are not unique to the municipality, it creates serious problems for us given the context within which we operate. There is therefore a need for us to employ smart systems to address this problem. To this end, we will be looking at options to create the capability that will enable us to collect, process, disseminate, retrieve, store and dispose all organizational information. This system must make it possible for us to instill discipline and ensure that all information used to make institutional decisions is accurate, secured and available instantaneously. We are also busy finalizing ways of strengthening the oversight role of Council. To this end, I commit the Mogale City Local Municipality to the establishment of a local government version of SCOPA, the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) by the end of March 2007. In partnership with the Department of Local Government, this committee will be trained so that they are able to start their functions at the beginning of the next financial year. Madam Speaker all of these things must and will be done. Besides the fact that they are stipulations of the supreme law of the land, they must and will be done because like President Thabo Mbeki said in his State of the Nation address last month: "We will continue to confront these challenges so as to erase in our country that which is ugly and repulsive so that we can speak of freedom and the happiness that comes with it". This is law. This is our marching order. CONCLUSION In his 2007 Budget Speech, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said: "The idea, that human life has equal worth, and that this is the core value that unites us, invites us to ask whether we have done enough to give practical effect in South Africa today to our shared humanity. Have we acted in a manner that shows that human life has equal worth? Or do we still live in a society where the shadow of history dominates over the opportunities of an open society...". Over the past year we have been guided by our unwavering resolve to strengthen the backbone of service delivery in order to accelerate the provision of much-needed services to the people of Mogale City, to create opportunities for youth, women and the disabled, and thus fight poverty and inequality, and generally to restore dignity and respect for those previously denied this right. This we have done and will continue to do because we have a shared pledge to work together in action. By choice, we do this because 'without a powerful countervailing force, the shadow of history will dictate opportunities, entitlements and outcomes'. And so we call upon the people of Mogale City to unite in a 'peoples contract to create work and fight poverty' as we advance the cause for a better life for all. We know we cannot do it alone. The Chinese have a proverb about a frog in a well shaft seeing the sky - it refers to an argument between a bird that stopped to drink at a well and a frog therein. They were arguing about how the sky looked like. Regarding where they were, they each had a different view. The frog's vision was of course very limited. Therefore, this proverb refers to somebody who has a very narrow-minded and insulated view of what they see or what they think. I want to call upon all in our city to always guard against falling into the frog trap. If we are not in a position to see or understand things clearly, take the initiative to ask. This is your government. Let it work for you and those around you. Take ownership of it. With this also comes the responsibility to play an active role in the governance process. If you think that we are falling into the frog trap as your public representatives, take the initiative to show us. We must always be aware that we look at things differently. So it is important to work together so that we can put up a stronger effort for the benefit of all of us. Let me also take this opportunity to say a special thanks to the National Government of South Africa, the Gauteng Provincial Government, Kaizer Chiefs Football Club, Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape, Wujiang City Municipality in the People's Republic of China, University of South Africa, Monash University, Lefika Emerging Equity, Harmony Gold, Pratley Manufacturing and Engineering Company, Bosasa Group of Companies, Devin Cabinet Doors, First Tech Galvanisers, Cobra Watertech Company, Akani Group, Voka East-Flanders Chamber of Commerce and Ex-change, both in Belgium, the Centre for Youth Development and others. The City of Human Origin welcomes your partnerships. Thank you.
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Mayor Koketso Calvin Seerane
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