By Tabisa Mntengwana
17 June 2010

WHEN the next financial year begins, the City was going to "shift gears and go into overdrive" in delivering services to residents.

This was said by Executive Mayor Zukisa Faku in her State of the City address on Thursday, 10 June at the East London City Hall. Faku said all service delivery departments would be monitored from the beginning to ensure all service delivery backlogs and challenges were overcome.

"We should start now developing a culture of responsible, accountable and outcomes-based service. We should start now instilling new, positive and commendable values among all our employees, in ranks and at all levels, from the municipal manager down to the street cleaner. Working with our unions, we must now endeavour to create a new and honest culture of service."

Speaking of challenges faced by the City, the mayor mentioned the issue of grass cutting at various places, including in Mdantsane, King William's Town, parts of East London and Breidbach, which she picked as her example.

Another problem was the lack of life-giving stocks of medication like insulin for diabetic patients who had to travel to other clinics for supplies.

Faku promised the people of Buffalo City that the time had come for the City to pull up its socks and start delivering services. "If the people who are responsible for driving and implementing service delivery are unable to deliver, we can always find a legitimate way to deal with effectively and to the benefit of the people of Buffalo City."

About the City's highlights, Faku said it would officially become a metropolitan city in 2011. To some, metro status brought glamour and added opportunities for development both personal and institutional. "Many of us look forward to the elevated status and position of eminence that our municipality will enjoy in the eyes of the public."

She also emphasized what this year's theme was all about: "Service delivery in overdrive calls for total dedication, unwavering commitment and pure honesty from role players."

Giving an overview of the core business of the municipality, the executive mayor spoke about the importance of water supply, health, electricity, roads and housing plans. Water was a source of life and rural and urban communities should have access to it.

The quality of water in Buffalo City was in the spotlight earlier this year. "We can safely say that the situation is under control and that there is no need to panic." Residents were assured that the water and sanitation backlog would be a priority in the next financial year; these issues had also been given priority in the last financial year. "Priority was given to eradicate the old ablution blocks and chemical toilets in urban areas' informal areas and replace them with systems that address the fact that sanitation is dignity."

Water plans included the construction of a concrete water reservoir in Berlin, and wastewater treatment works for Schornville, Bhisho, Zwelitsha and Breidbach. The upgrading of Quenera and Reeston waste water treatment works were also discussed.

Giving her promise on health issues, Faku said Buffalo City was also part of the world fight against HIV/Aids, with various community-based health programmes, employee voluntary counselling and testing and other child-based health projects.

Disability services were also catered for in the next financial year.

The City had, in the last financial year, launched disability friendly clinics and a traffic project for visually impaired people. A pedestrian crossing at Amalinda Drive at Frere Hospital was chosen as a pilot project for the system and the City had spent R130 000 upgrading and installing audible signals at Frere Hospital pedestrian crossings.

"Our objective is to upgrade all signalised pedestrian crossings within Buffalo City to this new system, starting with pedestrian crossings that are likely to experience the highest concentration of visually impaired pedestrians."

In her budget speech in May, the executive mayor said the roads department had already started with the upgrading of roads in Club View, Ezigodweni, New Rest, Duncan Village, Balasi Location, Hanover, Cliff, Potsdam and Peelton.

Electricity matters were also discussed in the State of the City address, which was given at the East London City Hall. The upgrading of electricity reticulation in Reeston and Queenspark was ongoing and the electrification of informal areas was also on the cards in the next financial year.

"We realise that there is much that still needs to be done to upgrade the electrical infrastructure in Buffalo City."

The housing backlog was mentioned, alongside the City's plans to fast track the provision of houses. Various housing development projects were under way, while some had been completed. With the help of the provincial department of human settlement, houses in Reeston phase one and two, Amalinda, Simanyane and Tshabo Phase one and two had been built.

Houses were now being built in Zsoga, Ilitha South, Tyutyu phase one and two, Dimbaza phase two and Cambridge phase three. More than 3 000 houses had already been built, with 1 170 of these handed over to beneficiaries. Site excavations had been done for another 3 600 units and a further 3 494 were being built.

"It is anticipated that these units will be completed within the next six months."

The Manyano/Thembelihle housing project would begin July this year, with 850 units expected to be erected. "The municipality envisages to develop between 4 000 and 5 000 housing units in the next financial year."

The housing rental market was also catered for, with 690 units at Emerald Sky and 71 units in Kenwick Close, both in East London. A total of 452 social housing units had been completed. The Second Creek Housing Development was being implemented.

Faku committed herself, together with the council of Buffalo City, to prioritise areas of development including the creation of decent work, education, health, rural development food security and the fight against crime, corruption and HIV/Aids.

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