A 5 Year focus: Achievements and Milestones of City of Ekurhuleni Municipality

Posted: 13 October 2021

The Minister of the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, officially proclaimed the 1st of November 2021 as the day when South Africans will take to the polls to elect councils for all district, metropolitan and local municipalities in each of the country's nine provinces (Local Government Elections).

In response to this, SALGA is rolling out a Local Government Transition Campaign, which includes the following objectives:

As the 4th term of the local government administration draws to an end, some of the milestones that have been achieved by City of Ekurhuleni Municipality include the following:

Highlights

• The City of Ekurhuleni is the most stable coalition government in South Africa.
• According to the GCRO Customer Satisfaction Survey 2020, the City of Ekurhuleni was the best Metro in Gauteng in terms of service delivery.

Governance

• Over the past three financial years, the CoE has received Unqualified Audit opinions from the Auditor General of South Africa with no unauthorised, irregular and fruitless expenditure, and a clean audit on performance information.
• The 2019/2020 Financial Year, the City of Ekurhuleni achieved a Clean Audit opinion for the Auditor General of South Africa. No other Metropolitan Municipality received a Clean Audit during the financial year under review.
• There are no allegations or findings of corruption and malfeasance related to the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment in the City of Ekurhuleni.
• Collection Rate for Q2 beginning in October 2020 was 90.46 %, which is an improvement from 89.14% during Q1.
• The City has recently launched a service delivery app, which has made reporting and turnaround time easier. The app includes a 24-hour news portal to keep citizens informed of developments and policy announcements in the City.
• Construction of 629 Wi-Fi nodes or hotspots installation to date around the City
• and public facilities. Installed Fibre Network (Broadband Coverage) to date is 674.5 km
• The City of Ekurhuleni is home to the largest Data Centre in the Southern Hemisphere and Africa, Teraco Data Centre in Kempton Park.
• In the Financial Year 2019/20, 115 000 registered indigents were supported.

Economic Development

• R80 million Ekurhuleni Community Enterprise Development Fund to provide grant funding for local entrepreneurs.
• Over the past four years, R470 million allocated for bursaries, benefiting a total of 9, 000 students. Of the R100 million annual bursary investment, R5 million was allocated to the 19 students who are part of the Breda University International Scholarship Programme in the Netherlands.
• The City of Ekurhuleni has successfully lobbied for the establishment of a University of Science and Technology here in Ekurhuleni, as pronounced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
• Informal Trading and Entrepreneurship Development: The City has issued 3, 800 temporary Trading Permissions to Spaza shops plus Hawkers; and awarded R56 million to 183 deserving township entrepreneurs.
• Business Support Programme: 102 learner contractors and 102 learner supervisors to the EPWP Vukuphile Programme at the tune of R500 million.

Rapid Land Release Programme

• Capital injection of over R5 billion in development projects in the 40 identified Strategic Land Parcels.
• The City has made available 56 agricultural farms comprising 2, 747 hectares valued at R120 million for the benefit of emerging farmers.
• Constructed an additional 20,000 sqm trading facility to house the Fresh Produce Distribution Centre.

Human Settlements

• 29, 964 units have been delivered, jointly by the Gauteng Province and the City.
• As of July 2021, 18, 442 service stands have been delivered.

Covid-19 Food Bank

• The City of Ekurhuleni COVID-19 Food Bank was successfully launched on the 14th of April and closed on the 3rd of July 2020 at the Ekurhuleni Fresh Produce Market in Springs.
• 123 Organisations/Donors made donations of goods (consumables and non-consumables) to an estimated value of R10,5 million. No municipal funds were used in this process.

Water and Sanitation

• 921, 079 households had access to piped water in their dwelling or yard.
• 99% of households had access to RDP standard of a water access point within 200 metres of a yard.
• 88.9 km of water and sewer pipes were replaced/refurbished.
• 4 reservoirs commissioned and 35 reservoirs commenced construction.
• 95 percent leaking water pipes were repaired within 48 hours.
• Water quality has been assured through the maintenance of ˃95 percent Blue Drops Status over the period of 5 years.
• Over 1, 800 water stand pipes installed in various informal settlements.
• Over 4, 000 new water connections were installed.
• 22, 906 meters were installed in unmetered areas.

Energy

• 40 of the 119 informal settlements have been re-blocked and electrified, resulting in approximately.
• 5, 000 people accessing electricity for the first time.
• Informal settlements electrification programme has connected 22,195 homes – bringing the total number of households connected to the grid since year 2000 to 94,490.
• Energy Stabilisation Program: 89, 807 km of cables have been installed in various towns such as Germiston, Boksburg, Edenvale and Benoni.
• Mayfield Switching Station completed in 2016/2017 and Germiston North Substation completed in 2019/2020 financial year.
• Roll out of 6,726 streetlights across the City and 351 high mast lighting, mainly in previously disadvantaged areas and new establishments.

Transport

• The City has recently procured 21 additional busses to replace aging fleet.
• Construction of dedicated lanes from Rabasotho Hall to R25 Zuurfontein interchange, the purchasing of 40 buses, and nine median stations, Bluegumview Taxi Rank and New Vosloorus Taxi Rank have been completed by 31st of December 2020.
• Currently, the BRT system operates between Tembisa, Isando OR Tambo International Airport. The extension of the system to OR Tambo resulted in the steady increase in ridership from an average of 11, 000 to 70, 000.
• Extended services from Tembisa to Bartlet Road in Boksburg due to the need identified in servicing the people working in the industrial park in the area.

Roads and Stormwater

• Estimated budget of R500 million for land acquisition, bridge upgrades (Sanral and Transnet) and road construction to Provincial standards.
• 139 km of sidewalk was paved as part of the Pavement Management System.
• 9,598 km of road was maintained, and 99 km pedestrian walkways constructed
• 35,759 stormwater systems cleaned and maintained. Additionally, the City constructed 233 stormwater systems with the aim to alleviate flooding in many areas.

Environmental Management

• Clean City Project: The programme has resulted in the appointment of 1,172 people - to ensure that our environment is clean and properly looked after.
• 45 Legacy Parks were completed. Anticipating a further completion of 25 parks within the current financial year.

City Planning

• The return on investment on rates to the City is expected at R1 billion by 2021.
• Investment & Development Facilitation: The City’s systematic implementation of 11 SUDs through the rapid release of 40 Strategic Land Parcels and PPPs to unlock development.
• Unlocked 4, 900 hectares of land, deemed to be dolomitic, in the Katlehong, Vosloorus, Springs and Duduza areas.
• Through township regularisation, we realised over 95, 000 stands to enable developments, specifically shops for local businesses.