Adopt-a-municipality pilot phase begins
JOHANNESBURG - The Adopt-a-Municipality initiative was announced by the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Council in November last year
READ: Gauteng service delivery | Law enforcers collaborate to fight crime
The program aims to see Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) work with municipalities to introduce rapid infrastructure interventions.
The national government has signed a memoranda of understanding with three local government municipalities to improve infrastructure delivery.
The Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson discussed the progress of this initiative with eNCA.
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Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Mail & Guardian
Ekurhuleni city manager placed on special leave until retirement
Dr Imogen Mashazi. (Photo supplied) The In a letter addressed to Mashazi on Wednesday, mayor 'In accordance with the provisions of Section 55(1) of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act No. 32 of 2000), which outlines the duties of the municipal manager in respect of implementing council resolutions, you are hereby requested to ensure that all requisite arrangements and preparatory actions are undertaken to enable an orderly and efficient transition during this period,' the letter read. Xhakaza added that any actions contrary to the council's resolution would be considered irregular, and he acknowledged Mashazi's continued dedication, cooperation, and commitment to the service of the city. Xhakaza's letter follows a council resolution instructing the city to begin the process of appointing a new city manager, because the council did not approve Mashazi's continued tenure. It is understood that Mashazi had requested to be compensated for the remaining two years of her contract, but this request was turned down by the council. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Economic Freedom Fighters ( 'Ordinarily, when you take leave or when you are about to leave a position, it should be voluntary so that [you are] not seen to be in the way of what people are trying to do,' Malema added. 'We are going to miss her, and I hope she won't distance herself too much. I hope she remains close and continues to offer advice, as she has a wealth of experience and wisdom.' When asked whether he was aware of the council's resolution to replace Mashazi, Malema responded that, to his knowledge, she had simply requested that her contract be allowed to run its full course, even though she had reached retirement age. 'There is no such council resolution [to extend her contract], so in the absence of one, they are unable to extend it,' he said. In another letter dated 4 June, which the Mail & Guardian has seen, the council confirmed that it had approved the commencement of the recruitment process for a new city manager on a five-year fixed term. The council also approved the composition of the interview panel for the position. It will include Xhakaza, EFF provincial chair Dunga said the position still had to be advertised and would be followed by a screening process. Dunga said Mashazi was correctly given a five-year contract, in line with obligations under the Municipal Structures and Systems Acts. 'We obviously foresaw that she would either carry out the full five years or retire upon reaching the mandatory retirement age. This is more of a transitional period than anything else,' Dunga said. 'We did consider a waiver that would have needed to be submitted to the minister. But be that as it may, such approval is beyond our sphere of influence. We have to focus on the matters at hand, and at this point, there is no waiver. 'There is no indication of a waiver, and administration must continue beyond one individual, even someone as dedicated as Dr Mashazi, who has served the City of Ekurhuleni for 36 years.'
The Citizen
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Tshwane unveils new cherry pickers to get services off the ground
Tshwane unveils new cherry pickers to get services off the ground Non-functional streetlights and non-regular tree pruning could be things of the past for Tshwane after the metro unveiled a fleet of 14 cherry pickers to get service delivery off the ground. The metro unveiled 14 out of its 100 cherry picker fleet on June 3, aimed to reduce reliance on costly private contractors, improve service delivery turnaround times and address deteriorating services. Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya and MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, officially received the fleet of new cherry pickers and oversaw the reopening of the Pretorius Park fleet workshop in the east of Pretoria. Approval of Embedded Generation and Energy Wheeling Policies-a bog step on the City's energy transition Media Statement @CityTshwane @kholofeloMorodi @nasiphim — MMC Frans Boshielo (@MMCBoshielo) June 2, 2025 According to Morodi, this forms part of his administration's broader strategy to reduce dependence on private contractors and rebuild the city's internal technical and operational capacity. 'The acquisition of municipal-owned cherry pickers is aimed at enabling city departments to carry out critical maintenance and repairs directly, without the delays and excessive costs associated with outsourcing,' she said. Morodi said for years, basic services in Tshwane were handed over to external contractors, often at enormous expense to ratepayers. 'During this period, internal departments were left without the tools, personnel or infrastructure to respond effectively to community needs,' she explained. 'The result was slower turnaround times, poor accountability, and deteriorating service delivery.' Morodi explained the importance of reopening the Pretorius Park depot. 'The reopening of the Pretorius Park depot gives the city an operational hub to manage its growing fleet, ensuring quicker response times, better control over resources, and improved transparency in the use of public funds,' she said. 'The workshop was closed due to outsourcing of workshop services. The reopening of this facility will enable the metro to enhance fleet management capabilities, reduce downtime, and improve overall efficiency using its own internal staff,' she added. According to Morodi, the workshop will focus on vehicles for water and sanitation, energy and electricity, thereby reducing the turnaround time for repairs of vehicles servicing these critical departments. 'The handover of cherry pickers and the revival of the fleet workshop reflect a shift in focus: away from private interests and toward public value. These developments form part of a wider effort to fix the fundamentals of service delivery – getting resources to the ground where they are most needed and ensuring communities receive reliable, dignified services.' We had promised residents that we build in-house capability and reduce reliance on contractors. Today's launch also included the re-opening of the City of Tshwane's Pretorius Park Workshop Depot. This workshop was closed for over 6 years as the City relied on contractors and… — Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) June 3, 2025 Moya said the unveiled cherry pickers will be distributed to regional teams to enhance service delivery. 'This first batch of 14 vehicles forms part 100 that we expect in this financial year,' she said. She said for years, the Tshwane workforce has grappled with a shortage of tools to do its work. This is a turning point in providing reliable services to our residents. 'We have over 18 000 officials in Tshwane. They were all complaining about tools of trade, so we are on the right step of providing them with tools to do their work. 'We had promised residents we would build in-house capability and reduce reliance on contractors,' she said. The Pretorius Park Workshop Depot was closed for over six years as the city relied on contractors and further located depots to service vehicles. Moya said some other equipment and trade tools will be unveiled this financial year. Just rode in one of our brand-new cherrypickers at the Pretorius Park Depot. This isn't just a vehicle — it's a symbol of Tshwane valuing our workers as well, which is why these trucks have a crew cab. We're rebuilding capacity, cutting waste, and delivering for our people.… — Kholofelo Morodi (@kholofeloMorodi) June 3, 2025 Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Expropriation Act: How many expropriating authorities are empowered by the Act?
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