Speech by Executive Mayor of Buffalo City - Councillor. Zintle Peter

East London City Hall - 26 May 2008

Ndiyabulisa kuye wonke umntu olapha kusasa nje. Good morning and welcome one and all.

Namhlanje ndizele yimincili kuba ndibona ukuba ngenene kuhlalele ukusa apha e-Buffalo City; ilixa lokusivuyisa sele lisondele.

This is my very first public address after the announcement last week that the Municipal Demarcation Board has officially determined that Buffalo City should be declared a metro. Kwaye le nto ndiyivakalisa koomama.

Masiyiqhwabele loo ndawo!

We have to acknowledge the fact that the Demarcation Board’s determination was influenced, amongst other things, by our successes in developing the city and its people, into ethetha ukuba nani njengemibutho yasekuhlaleni nibe negalelo elivakalayo kuloo migudu.

Procedurally, the Demarcation Board has now allowed for a 30-days consultations and objections period before taking a final decision on the matter. Okubalulekileyo kuthi kukuba imizamo yethu neempawu zethu zifikelele emehlweni abo banamagunya okusiphakamisa sinyukele kumgangatho ongentla.

Perhaps the most conspicuous effort on our part as the municipality has been our struggle to improve the social and economic fabric of Buffalo City with particular support for informal, emerging and small development schemes.

Ngethuba bendijikeleza kwimimandla ye-Buffalo City ngo-October wonyaka ophelileyo ndivakalise ukuba ndibeke bucala isixa-mali esiyi-R5 million ndilungiselela amaphulo ophuhliso oomama.

Ndibe naso nesicelo esithi ncedani nize ngaphambili namacebiso okuba le mali mayisetyenziswe njani na. Kaloku mna ndikholelwa ekuthini mandingafaki nantoni na emlonyeni womntu kuba loo mntu esithi ulambile, koko mandive ngaye ukuba kutya kuni na okuza kumlungela.

Mandinibulele ke maqobokazana ngokuthi nilisabele eli khwelo nisicebise ukuba mayisebenze njani na le mali, kuba namhlanje size kuvakalisa amagama emibutho eqhutywa ngoomama esebenzela uluntu eza kuxhamla kule ngxowa.

We received in excess of one hundred submissions from various women’s programmes and organisations within Buffalo City, into engqine imfuneko yokuxhasa oomama kwimizamo yabo yokuphuhlisa uqoqosho lwethu nokuphucula ubomi babantu balapha e-Buffalo City jikelele.

What was of special interest to me about the submissions was the magnitude of women’s involvement in the broader social and informal sectors of our society – from agriculture to community services, construction, handicrafts, textiles, the catering and hospitality industry and general support services.

Iyinyaniso intetho ethi ukuphakamisa umntu ongumama kukuphakamisa isizwe. Kuba nisoloko niziqhuba ezi zinto ningenancedo niluzuzayo ngokwezimali. Ndinothulela umnqwazi maqobokazana; ndisithi ‘ze ningayiyeki le nto intle kangakanana niyenzayo. Kaloku ningaqondi nje nina nivala izikhewu kuqoqosho lwe-Buffalo City ngokubanzi.

Silapha ke namhlanje ukuza kubonakalisa eyethu inkxaso kuni njengomasipala wenu omiselwe nini. We are here because the Buffalo City Council demonstrated understanding and appreciation for my request to support women’s initiatives within our respective communities.

I nevertheless want to impress upon you the added obligation placed on your shoulders to produce results. Kaloku sininika imali yabarhafi balapha e-Buffalo City, sisithi yisebenziseni ukuphuhlisa abantu base-Buffalo City ngokubanzi.

The mere fact that you have been selected as the initial beneficiaries of this fund shows that izakhono zona ninazo. Ukuba bekungenjalo ngekukhethwe eminye imibutho.

Kanti ke nakuloo mibutho ingakhethwanga ikho ebonakalise ukunyaniseka nokuzimisela kumaphulo ayo. Ndiyathemba ukuba nayo iza kuxhamla xa siphinda sikhupha enye imali yokuncedisa amaphulo oomama.

Whilst on that subject, I wish to state categorically that Buffalo City Municipality was not responsible for making the final choice. We outsourced this work to a professional and reputable service provider ukwenzela ukuba kungathiwa sikhethe abantu abathandwa sithi.

The process was open and fair, and every applicant organisation was given an opportunity to demonstrate its value and importance to society.

Hambani ke niye kwenza ezo zinto nidume ngazo ekuhlaleni. Dedisani ubumnyama eluntwini, niqaqambise imisebenzi yobugcisa, nondle iinkedama, nidale amathuba empangelo, nithi ngokwenjenjalo nibonise ilizwe ukuba kutheni na le nto i-Buffalo City ikufanele ukwenziwa i-metro.

Enkosi.

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