Mayor Hlongwane engages a resident of Tsepong during the site visits
preceding the Imbizo.

Mayoral GDS Izimbizo Programme Starts

[17.10.07] The Sedibeng District Municipality Executive Mayor, Clr. Mlungisi Hlongwane in the company of the Emfuleni Local Municipality Executive Mayor, Clr. Dikeledi Tsotetsi, with all the members of the Sedibeng and Emfuleni Mayoral Executive Committees, launched the first program of the Growth and Development Strategy & Integrated Development Plan Mayoral Izimbizo, a year long program in Sedibeng.

The first areas to be visited by the entourage were Wards 21and 39 covering Tshepong, Rust-ter-vaal, Ironside, Dreamland, Daleside and Eatonside, all located within the jurisdiction of Emfuleni.

Speaking to over 2000 community members on the 17 October 2007 in Tshepong,  Clr. Hlongwane presented the report on the progress since the 3rd democratically local government election of 01 March 2006.

He further presented the district economic strategies emanating from the Growth and Development Strategy held in November 2007 which saw five priorities as the corner stone of the district.

The five priorities are titled 5R’s which consist of the following:

Reintegrating our region,
Reinventing the Economy,
Reviving the Environment,
Releasing Human potential, and
Reintegrating our region.

The major challenges facing these communities are lack of schools, electricity and the construction of roads including the Health care services in terms of clinic in the area.

The Executive Mayor, Clr. Mlungisi Hlongwane promised to look into providing temporal measures as part of dealing with current challenges in the area.

During the imbizo the community member asked, putting it to Mayor Hlongwane that in Rust-ter-vaal drugs and alcohol abuse is rife due to unemployment especially amongst the youth.

In his response he acknowledged the challenges of unemployment and drug abuse and he encouraged to join hands in partnership with the community organizations and government in fighting the scourge of these challenges, he further encouraged the partnership between private and public institutions to also come forward and work together.

Meanwhile, the Executive Mayor, Clr. Mlungisi Hlongwane assured the community that government would respond to all the issues they have raised.

However, he pointed out that in order for service delivery and development to happen, the community also had to participate in decision-making processes, air their views and concerns.

"I am saying we need a strong government to do all these things, but we also need a strong community that will stand up and talk.

"But this community must also work with the municipality to make these things possible," he said.

He said the outcomes and commitments arising from the Imbizo should be implemented to ensure that the lives of the people were improved.

He also assured the community that a report will be compiled and be presented to both the Mayoral Committee of Sedibeng District Municipality and Emfuleni Municipality for consideration.

"A better life means that when you look back six months from today, you must be able to say life in Ward 21 & Ward 39 is better than it was on the 17 October 2007," 

Part of the huge crowd that attended the Mayoral GDS Imbizo in Tsepong.

Currently in Tshepong there is development of 963 houses taking place and the tender has been won by a company led by a women. The Provincial Department of Housing the tender to the group as part of Women Development and aleady 210 houses have been fully completed and the process is still on track.