City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza gave his second State of the City Address on March 27, stating his commitment to service delivery.
He said the theme guiding the sitting remains from his maiden speech: ‘Building a responsive city working with agility to restore service delivery to the people’.
He emphasised the administration conducts its business based on six key strategic pillars:
• Provision of quality and sustainable services to all residents;
• Rebuilding a strong financial base to support the city’s development;
• Conducting essential repairs and maintenance of public facilities;
• Investment in critical infrastructure in partnership with the private sector;
• Economic development, growth, and job creation focusing on the aerotropolis and the revitalisation of the manufacturing sector;
• Preserving good and ethical governance.
He said the renewal project must also extend to the administration, which plays a crucial role in the execution of service delivery.
“One of the major mistakes we realised with our renewal project was confining it to the political leadership of the institution while grossly overlooking the role of the administration.
“We are determined to pursue our call for a ‘renewed public servant’ – one that puts the people first and is committed to delivering quality, sustainable, and equitable services to our people,” said Xhakaza.
The mayor outlined the city’s evolution:
• 2000 to 2011: Seamless amalgamation of nine towns and 11 administrations;
• 2011 to 2016: Articulation of a long-term strategy and plan, and the automation of service delivery;
• 2016 to 2021: Infrastructure consolidation and rollout;
• 2021 to 2023: The barren years characterised by system collapse, political instability, and revenue decline;
• 2023 to present: The rebirth of hope anchored on financial stabilisation and the restoration of service delivery.
Xhakaza said the administration worked diligently since its appointment, focusing on implementing key principles.
CBD revitalisation
Regarding CBD revitalisation, the mayor said the city’s economic hubs – Kempton Park, Boksburg, Germiston, Alberton and Edenvale – are characterised by hijacked, dilapidated, and dysfunctional buildings, posing high risks, especially regarding crime.
“These buildings do not comply with the minimum requirements as stated in the National Building Regulations and Standards Act,” he said.
To address this, the city has adopted a five-pillar strategy:
• Developing a comprehensive database of these buildings;
• Conducting due diligence, integrity audits, and deed searches to determine ownership;
• Engaging owners and potential investors to establish strategic partnerships and a property fund;
• Leveraging the Expropriation Act to navigate legalities in reassigning ownership;
• Integrating Precinct Plans to reinforce the Ekurhuleni economic outlook.
A multi-disciplinary team, led by the MMC for Finance, Jongizizwe Dlabath, was established to drive the renewal programme, using a corridor approach.
Township economy development
Regarding township economic development, the mayor stated the city aims to leverage economic imperatives, including entrepreneurship, enterprise development, and the regularisation of informal trading.
The city plans to proclaim over 40 000 stands across different townships within 18 months.
Spaza shop policy and regulatory interventions
On spaza shop registration, the mayor reported the city has registered 2 036 spaza shops.
Of these, only 76 complied and received business licences, 496 were declined for non-compliance, and 1 464 are pending due to incomplete information.
“These statistics prove more work needed to be done in this sector,” he said.
The mayor acknowledged ongoing infrastructure challenges, including water shortages, cable theft, vandalism, non-functional streetlights, potholes, and the proliferation of informal settlements.
Regarding the water crises, he apologised to residents, citing the recent Bedfordview water outage that lasted nine days due to a technical glitch at Rand Water.
He emphasised the city is addressing these issues by improving communication with Rand Water and investing R1.8b over the Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) for water and sewer infrastructure upgrades.
The city also allocated R196m for the completion of eight reservoirs, which are in various stages of construction.
Energy
The city plans to:
• Upgrade ageing infrastructure;
• Implement digital technologies to curb theft and vandalism;
• Enhance operations in collaboration with the security cluster;
• Appoint multiple Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to generate an additional 1,500 megawatts.
Last year, the city committed to installing electricity in 2 500 homes in informal settlements.
“R338m later, we exceeded our target and made 2 812 new connections,” he said.
The city also installed 30 high-mast lights in areas such as Ramaphosa, Emandleni, and Langaville to improve safety.
Roads and transport
The mayor acknowledged the city’s pothole problem, stating it impacts road users and economic activity.
He assured residents the issue is being addressed through the Hlasela Ama Pothole campaign, which has already repaired hundreds of potholes.
This year, the city has maintained 506km of road infrastructure, with a further 241km scheduled for maintenance in the next quarter.
Waste removal and environmental services
The city has stabilised waste collection services, especially in informal settlements, and continues to combat illegal dumping.
We tightened security at landfill sites because of infiltration by illegal miners (zama-zamas), who frequently disrupt operations.
Human settlements
According to the National Housing Needs Database, 283 000 people are on the housing waiting list in Ekurhuleni.
The city plans to address this through:
• Mega housing projects such as John Dube and Leeuwpoort;
• Serviced stands;
• RDP walk-ups;
• Social housing; and
• Re-blocking of informal settlements.
Social cluster
To combat crime, the city will strengthen the Hhayi Ngekasi Lami campaign, encouraging communities to work with Community Policing Forums (CPFs).
Additionally, the city will recruit 334 traffic wardens and train them as EMPD officers.
Governance
To ensure financial stability, the city optimises revenue collection with a 90% target while implementing a Revenue Enhancement Plan.
Efforts to eliminate financial leakages will focus on metering, billing, and account tampering.
The mayor said the city is accelerating in-sourcing to reduce reliance on contractors, aiming for a 60:40 internal-to-contractor ratio in the short term and 80:20 in the MTREF.
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