The Honourable Speaker, Fellow Councillors, The Political Steering Committee, The Technical Support Committee, Public Gallery, Members of the Media, Ladies and Gentlemen:
As we assemble here today, I sense a definite urgency and common purpose in our collective as the political leadership of the NMBM, to fulfill its duty in service ofall the people of the Nelson Mandela Bay.
I would like to bring to your attention that our youth will attempt to break a world record on Saturday at the Dan Qeqe Stadium by forming the world's longest chain of people clapping hands as part of our City of Champions Initiative.
Our situation in this metro demands that we unequivocally raise our political, social, economic and moral consciousness on a path of unceasing activism.
We need to produce a credible Peoples Budget and IDP that are dynamic and with a clear bias towards service delivery and economic development. A budget able to finance infrastructure investment and deliver quality services to our people. Allow me to commend the Budget and Treasury officials, Troika and other senior officials for responding to the call to revise the budget ensure that it is cash backed.
Honourable Speaker unfortunately we are not yet able to table the budget for final adoption today. However, I am extremely happy with the progress thus far.
Last week at the Council meeting in Uitenhage we had many calls to accelerate service delivery The draft budget clearly places emphasis on key aspects of service delivery and economic growth which are firmly cemented within the aspirations of our communities and in particular in communities where service delivery has been slow.
Housing delivery is top priority and the intervention by national is factored into the budget. An important feature of this budget is the premium placed on arts, culture and sports. Hence the budget speaks to the need for the development of sports, recreation and cultural amenities.
We have identified this sector because there are too many unemployed youth roaming our streets aimlessly. We strongly believe that this could serve as a healthy leverage to keep our youth off the streets and away from the social ills of gangsterism, drug and substance abuse.
Importantly, provision has also been made for the upkeep of existing memorial sites and the establishment of new ones.
In this regard I specifically propose a memorial site located in the Northern Areas in memory of the late educator and community activist George Botha and many others…..
A crucial component to devising the Budget/IDP is public participation. The public participation and engagements over the last two weeks, are the building blocks on which this Budget/IDP is based and is the outcome of a series of public Budget/IDP meetings and outreach programmes of the political leadership to the communities of the Nelson Mandela Bay.
During these sessions, the political leadership listened to residents and responded to their concerns in order to identify priorities and needs which in turn would find meaning and expression in the proposed Budget and IDP.
We need to keep to our pledge of not ever tabling a deficit budget in this council.
In keeping with this pledge we will ensure strong disciplines on treasury that would enable us to track and facilitate the financial management and process of the proposed budget
Needless to say, it requires concerted and diligent cooperation by all directorates and employees of this municipality to ensure that these measures are implemented and strictly adhered to.
I am confident with the ongoing support by National and Provincial Treasuries and the dedication of this municipality's staff, as well as the participation and support of our communities so that we can make the difference in our communities and deliver the services our people deserve.
Signs of positive change and a hopeful future gleam through many spheres of our communal and institutional horizon.
But let us be clear. Our challenges are enormous as they are intrinsic. We have to be a leadership in partnership with our community that will bring fulfillment, peace, security and prosperity- and enable us to be a source of goodness and hope for all those around us. This of course is going to take time, and planning and energy on a scale that we have never seen before. And our work has begun in all earnest!
Fellow Councillors:
If we look into the deep cracks that have ravaged this municipality, we see immediately that they run along the lines of our doubts and inefficiencies, which are both internal and external.
The present context is that of persistent and deepening poverty, unemployment and inequality. This in turn leads to vulnerable groups in society experiencing horrifying levels of violence. Women and children bear the brunt and are open to abuse and violence.
The slow pace of service delivery in the metro is being further crippled by an alarmingly high rate of vandalism. Most if not all the schools, from pre-primary to high schools have been vandalized. Housing projects are being vandalized.
Hospitals, clinics and places of safety have also fallen prey to acts of vandalism. The wave of vandalism in our Metro infringes on access to health, education, housing and other socio-economic rights.
The youth particularly has been marginalized socially, economically and educationally and many experience this as rejection by the dominant culture in society. There is a feeling that their personal suffering, is ignored on a practical level. The youth have historically been marginalized and excluded from key resources of power and authority in society. This leaves them frustrated and disempowered...
A poem written by Philiswe Gomba: "On Common Ground"
Who the hell are you to call us a lost generation?
Where were you when we needed guidance?
Where were you when we needed you to nourish our delicate minds?
So we say we were never lost but ignored,
We were never lost but deprived. We were called the "Young Lions" now we are bearing degrading names.
Just yesterday we were heroes now we are just a plague to the nation.
This is the state of community we now live in.
This is a primary means of embracing and in an invigorating sense, have a community emerging as a truly effectual, purposeful, dynamic society.
This is the challenge for councillors, and upon which so much of our mutual destiny hinges.
Our primary purpose is to chart the way forward for constructive and practical engagement by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), which will serve as a catalyst to reinvigorate and inspire deep consciousness within our diverse communities about our fundamental, our history as a people in building a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic Nelson Mandela Bay.
As a united community, we are cognizant that we comprise of people who come from diverse backgrounds, with values and cultures that over the years have enriched the fabric of society into a resplendent tapestry of diversity.
Thus, among these values are non-racialism, non-sexism and non-ageism some of the primary realities of our past, our present and our future.
Madam speaker, I would now like to introduce the members of the mayoral committee and their portfolios:
Key Principles for Consideration of Mayoral Committee
" Non racial
" Non sexist
" Generational mix.
" Geographic spread
" Competence earned through education, experience and expertise.
NMBM MAYCO
Position Member
MMC Safety & Security Mr. Fikile Desi
MMC Youth, Sport & Culture Ms. Andiswa Mama
MMC Roads & Transport Ms. Babalwa Lobishe
MMC Corporate Services Ms. Feziwe Sibeko
MMC Public Health Ms. Joy Seale
MMC Infrastructure And Engineering Mr. Andile Mfunda
MMC Human Settlements Ms. Nomvuselelo Tontsi
MMC Economic Development, Tourism And Agriculture Mr. Zukile Jodwana
MMC Budget And Treasury Mr. Rory Riordan
