2 July 2006
By Themba Gadebe
Germiston – Ekurhuleni executive mayor Duma Nkosi has promised to strengthen the functioning of local councillors and ward committees in the municipality.
Detailing the municipality's five-year plan at an imbizo here yesterday, the Nkosi said this was a critical element in ensuring the municipality discharged its responsibilities to improve the residents' living conditions.
In this regard, he assured the many residents who had gathered for the imbizo that councillors would strive to meet their obligations and report back to them.
To make the municipality more accessible, the mayor announced the establishment of 17 customer care centres in various areas in the region.
These centres will be located in Thembisa, Kempton Park, Edenvale, Thokoza, Katlehong, Vosloorus, Germiston, Alberton, Tsakane, Duduza, Nigel, Daveyton, Kwa-Thema, Springs Brakpan, Benoni and Boksburg.
"The presence of well resourced offices in areas where the majority of our people live will be a historical break of the past legacy," Nkosi said.
He further noted that the municipality would be improving the Complaints Response Centre to provide a 24-hour service to all residents.
In addition, the municipality has set aside R24-million to address the ageing water infrastructure. Also, R9-million has been budgeted to assist poor households to repair leaking water pipes.
"With respect to sanitation, we will be looking at dry sanitation as a means to overcome the backlogs there. This is in keeping with our promise [national government's target] that all communities will have access to clean water and decent sanitation by 2010," he said.
However, Mr Duma admitted that storm water systems remained a challenge, saying they were inadequate and had been neglected for a long time.
In this regard, he explained that the stormwater master plans for outstanding areas such as Daveyton were to be finalised soon and that a R120 million storm water turnkey project would be implemented this financial years.
He further mentioned plans to roll out a consumer education programme with the Gauteng Housing Department to help owners of subsidised houses understand their responsibilities on house maintenance and consumption of services.
"In this five-year-term, we aim also to address the housing backlog, and improve on the 10 000 houses delivered last year," he said.
More good news for the Ekurhuleni residents is the construction of a new hospital in Vosloorus to replace the Natalspruit Hospital. According to the mayor, the Natalspruit Hospital had a sinkhole and was therefore unsafe.
"We will also develop a programme to support those who are infected and affected by HIV and AIDS and strengthen our partnership with civil society as we forge ahead with our fight against pandemic, and poverty in the region," he said.
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