REMARKS DELIVERED BY THE EXECUTIVE MAYOR CLLR RANDALL WILLIAMS ON THE
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE TSHWANE MAYORAL COMMITTEE
Good Afternoon to all those that have gathered here today, particularly the
members of the media.
Less than a week ago I was elected as Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane.
This came after the city had been placed under administration unlawfully by the
provincial government, who also dissolved council.
For more than seven months the city did not have political leadership or oversight
over core operations. Councillors were removed from their communities and in its
place a total void was created between the city and its residents.
It caused immense frustration for residents and resulted in immense disruption in
their lives.
The trust that many people had in the workings of local government has been
eroded. There has been a relationship breakdown.
That is why today I will begin restoring the trust that residents of this city have in
their elected leadership.
In the 2016 local government elections they voted for councillors, I was one of them.
They entrusted me and my fellow councillors with a responsibility to represent them
and ensure that the city responds to their needs.
It is time to begin rebuilding and strengthening that relationship.
It is time to restore the wellbeing of the City of Tshwane, our capital city.
For the last few days I have immersed myself in getting briefed on all matters that
pertain to the current operational status quo in the city.
What I have found has been disturbing.
You might have read the city’s financials are in crisis.
A ballooning deficit of R4.4 billion has been inherited from the last financial year
which ended on 30 June 2020.
Collection rates are down, the debtors book has increased by over R5 billion since
the DA was removed in March this year. The overall credit status of the city has
been severely weakened after being downgraded.
Operationally, the city is also limping.
To stabilize the finances, budgets have been cut across departments many of which
provide frontline basic service delivery.
This has hampered the ability to respond speedily to service delivery requests and
procure goods and services that support operations.
The impact of Covid-19 and lockdown has significantly disrupted operations with
many employees being sent to work from home remotely without the necessary
tools to effectively do their jobs.
I have already given the Acting City Manager an instruction that there must be a full
recall of staff. This instruction has been executed and already I have seen staff
returning to the city.
Aside from staff with serious medical conditions and co-morbidities I want all City of
Tshwane staff at their offices serving the residents of this city.
All senior managers will be responsible for making sure their staff are at work,
accounted for and doing their duties.
It is time to get the Capital City back to work.
I also intend to squeeze every drop of savings out of the city that I can so that we
can restore financial stability.
It will start with scrutinising all the spending that took place in the last 7 months
along with implementation and tracking of a financial turnaround strategy.
A crucial objective of mine is to enhance project management in the city by
developing a robust internal capacity to ensure city projects are completed.
While also then significantly reducing the city’s spending on consulting and
contracted services.
Starting immediately I want spending on unnecessary items cut.
Spending on catering in the City of Tshwane will cease.
Free lunches are over.
No matter the length of the meeting or the formality of the engagement the city will
not be purchasing food.
Events and conferences will have their budgets reduced and channeled to core
service delivery.
Where possible all such engagements will happen either in Tshwane House or
online.
All international travel will be restricted. I intend to immediately begin reviewing and
appropriating these budgets to direct them to core service delivery. Travel abroad
will only be considered when funded be external partners or donors.
Spending on consumables such as stationery and printing will be tightly controlled
so that only core and necessary items are procured.
The business of core service delivery must now be prioritized.
Today I will be presenting a detailed 10 point service delivery intervention plan to
City of Tshwane top management.
1.Prioritisation of the electrical grid and water infrastructure
2. Implementing a robust Covid-19 management strategy
3. Create a reliable waste and refuse removal service
4. Provide stringent financial management and oversight
5. Enhancing city safety and emergency services
6. Promote employment and economic growth in the city
7. Supporting the vulnerable and providing social relief
8. Fast track development by cutting red tape
9. Expansive financial cost cutting across city processes
10. Maintain and expand road infrastructure
This plan will be presented in detail this afternoon to top management.
I have even gone so far as to develop specific Key performance indicators that I
want departments to track.
This will ensure they report on exactly what I ask of them.
In the coming weeks I intend to communicate intensely on their implementation.
To do this I will need a strong team, a group of people with a diversity of skills and
talented professionals.
I am pleased to unveil that team today. I would ask that they either raise their hand
or stand as I announce them.
Cllr Mpho Mehlape-Zimu will be MMC for Housing and Human Settlements
In 2012 Mpho entered the world of politics, by serving as professional support staff
member to the Democratic Alliance.
During the same period she equipped herself for the vigours of public office by
obtaining certifications in the fields of gender, youth and people with disabilities, as
well as governance and compliance. She was elected to Council in 2017 and
became Deputy Chief Whip in 2019.
Cllr Sylvester Phokoje will be MMC for Corporate and Shared Services
Sylvester is a practicing advocate and consultant in the fields of human resource
development and labour relations. With almost 40 years’ experience in the HR field,
Sylvester brings with him a wealth of experience to the Corporate and Shared
Services Department
Cllr Thabisile Vilakazi will be MMC for Community and Social Development
Thabisile was sworn in as councillor in 2016, and served as the chairperson for the
Section 79 Oversight Committee for Community and Social Development Services
since then. Thabisile has excelled in her duties as Committee Chairperson, and I
am certain that she will continue to do so in her new role as MMC.
Cllr Karen Meyer will be the MMC for Community Safety.
Karen was first elected to Council in 2000, and served as councillor for the past 20
years in the city.
From 2001 she was the Official Opposition’s spokesperson for Community Safety
right up to 2016, when she was appointed Chairperson of the Local Geographical
Names Standing Committee.
In February 2019 she was appointed to MMC for Community Safety and she will
continue her relentless pursuit for a safer Tshwane.
Cllr Sakkie du Plooy will be the MMC for Health
As an ordained minister, Sakkie served as Chaplain of the former SADF as well as
the Dutch Reformed Church in Parys up to 1989, whereupon he entered the public
service and worked in a number of government departments until his election to
Council in 2014.
In 2016 he was appointed MMC for Health where he served with distinction until
moving to the Community and Social Development Services portfolio in February
2019. His return to the Health portfolio will see him pick up where he left off and
continue his exceptional work.
Mare-Lise Fourie will return as MMC for Finance
Mare-Lise worked for the City Council of Pretoria from 1970 right up to her departure
from the City of Tshwane in 2003. One of South Africa’s leading authorities on
municipal finances and financial management she has presented courses on the
subject at the universities of South Africa, Johannesburg, Pretoria, as well as the
Tshwane University of Technology.
Mare-Lise entered Council in 2014, and was appointed MMC for Finance in 2016.
She will be leading the City’s Financial Turnaround Strategy, and I am confident
that she will return the City to a solid financial footing.
Phillip Nel – Utilities Services and Regional Operations and Coordination
A professional engineer with over 40 years in the private sector, backed by a
business leadership degree and proven record of organisational development,
Phillip brings a wealth of project and performance management knowledge and
experience to this portfolio. With the current challenges experienced by both
departments, Phillip will be on frontline in terms of basic service delivery
Dana Wannenburg – Environment and Agriculture Management
Dana Wannenburg is a born and bred entrepreneur of Pretoria, with over 20 years
of experience in the motor and commercial property industry.
Dana was first elected to Council in 2000, where he served in various capacities
until being appointed MMC for Environment and Agriculture Management in 2019.
Cllr Bruce Lee will be MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning
Bruce was first elected to Council in 2011 and served on the Section 79 Oversight
Committee for Economic Development and Spatial Planning for several years.
Armed with an MBA, a political science degree from universities in Taiwan and Hong
Kong. Bruce has managed and run several businesses in the manufacturing and
export sector in the Southern African region.
Cllr Dikeledi Selowa will be MMC for Roads and Transport.
Dikeledi was first elected to council in 2016 and appointed chairperson of the
Section 79 Oversight Committee for Utility Services. She holds several certifications
on monitoring and evaluation in the public sector, governance excellence and local
government legislation. As an ardent youth activist Dikeledi will focus her energies
on empowerment and development in the Roads and Transport portfolio.
In 2016 when the DA took office we took a decision to ban the use of blue light
brigades by the political leadership in the city. I want to affirm that commitment
today.
MMCs must be humble representatives to the residents of this city.
The work has started, as we speak I have interrupted a two day mayoral briefing
session where all these MMCs and the section 79 oversight chairpersons have
been getting up to speed on the operational status in the city.
By the end of today I would have presented my detailed strategic interventions to
the top management that I want implemented in the city.
Thank you for attending today. I will now take any questions you might have.