EKURHULENI — Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has announced that the municipality is actively engaging with the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) and the Gauteng provincial government to repair deteriorating roads or assume full responsibility for them. The push for infrastructure control comes as the city works to stabilize service delivery and reverse years of coalition turbulence.
Speaking on the city’s current administrative and infrastructural status, Xhakaza highlighted the urgent need to address national and provincial routes, specifically the R21, R24, and N12 highways.
“We are actually talking to them to say fix your roads, otherwise give us this responsibility,” Xhakaza stated, emphasizing that while the municipality manages internal routes, the condition of major arterial roads requires immediate intervention from higher authorities.
Streetlights, Vandalism, and Disinformation
Addressing concerns over visibility and safety, the Mayor clarified the status of the city’s street lighting. He confirmed that out of approximately 196,000 streetlights managed by the city, 83% are currently fully operational.
Xhakaza attributed the 17% non-functionality primarily to severe vandalism. He noted that the municipality is currently retrofitting the affected areas and urged the public to rely on verified data rather than disinformation, adding that communities can monitor the specific streets undergoing repairs.
Stabilizing Governance and Addressing Corruption
The Executive Mayor, who has been in office for two and a half years after previously serving as the MMC for finance, economic development, water, and energy, reflected on the city’s turbulent five-year period. He noted that the city has seen three mayors and endured persistent financial and governance challenges.
Xhakaza placed the blame for the city’s recent struggles on the previous coalition governments, specifically citing the three-year period from 2021 to 2023 under a DA mayor, Tania Campbell, which he described as “three years of mayhem” supported by the EFF.
Since taking the helm, Xhakaza says his primary mission has been to stabilize the coalition of 224 councillors across 16 political parties. A major focus has been implementing corrective measures following the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. The commission exposed severe corruption within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD). Xhakaza confirmed that decisive action has been taken, including the suspension and expulsion of implicated officials, specifically naming Julius Mkhwanazi.
Tackling an R8 Billion Debt and Restoring Basic Services
The municipality is currently navigating a massive debt burden touching the R8 billion mark. To aid in the turnaround, the city is operating under the National Treasury’s metro trading services reform, utilizing a R54 billion grant to meet strict turnaround targets.
In Thembisa, the administration has restored free basic services and social packages that were removed in 2022, alongside implementing a debt rehabilitation program for indigent residents. Xhakaza also highlighted the restoration of public meetings (imbizos), which had been banned during the previous administration, to ensure direct engagement with the community.
Major Infrastructure Upgrades
Despite the financial challenges, the Mayor pointed to several completed and ongoing infrastructure projects:
- Bridges: The R28 million Flint Mazibuko bridge, connecting the Winnie Mandela community to the Hospital View, has been handed over. Additionally, the R60 million project has been completed.
- Electricity: Over R47 million was spent to refurbish the Sub A and Sub E electricity substations to stabilize power. Furthermore, a R16 billion independent power producer (IPP) generation project, which was shelved as a “vanity project” in 2020, has been revived.
- Water: The city has invested in 29 reservoirs to combat regional water challenges. This includes the recent commissioning of a 25-megaliter water reservoir in Benoni, done in collaboration with the Water Minister.
Sewer Challenges and Resident Frustrations
While highlighting these achievements, the Mayor acknowledged ongoing service delivery frustrations, specifically regarding sewer blockages in Thembisa, Katlehong, and Daveyton. He pointed to the Tambo outfall sewer project currently on the ground to address these issues.
Xhakaza also called for civic education, noting that some sewer collapses are caused by residents disposing of foreign objects into the drains and incorrectly channeling rainwater into the sewer lines instead of the stormwater systems.
The need for swift resolution was echoed by residents in areas like Chris Hani Extension 1 in Daveton (Ward 69), who recently reported living with overflowing sewage and blocked drains for months, citing unanswered calls to the municipality and demanding political accountability.
Demographics and Economic Outlook
Ekurhuleni continues to experience exponential population growth. According to the last census, the city houses 4.2 million people across 1.5 million households. Of these households, approximately one million are formalized houses, 300,000 are business and industry properties, and 200,000 are informal settlements.
As the city approaches the local government elections, Xhakaza maintains that the majority of Ekurhuleni is healthy and functioning. He is pleading with residents to give the current administration the time needed to finalize its corrective measures and fully normalize service delivery across the municipality.
