CHIEF WHIP’S RESPONSE TO EXECUTIVE STATEMENT AT THE SPECIAL COUNCILMEETING

11 JUNE 2015

Honourable Speaker,

Honourable Executive Mayor

Honourable Deputy Executive Mayor

Fellow Councillors

The Political Steering Committee,

The Technical Support Committee,

Members of the Public

Members of the Media,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As we celebrate Youth Month, I note with appreciation your commitment to address the challenges faced by the youth in our Metro. In particular, I am encouraged by the commitment to interact directly with the youth of the metro because as young people always remind us.

Each one teach one.”

I also want to pledge on behalf of this Council that we will redouble our efforts to create opportunities for employment, growth and prosperity for our young people.

As the founding father of our democracy, Nelson Mandela said at Ezakheni in KZN on Youth Day in 1995;

“In your hands is the key to make South Africa a great country; to make our society a prosperous and caring nation. Wherever you are - in the schools, in religious institutions, at work, in the army and police services, in sporting bodies, as cultural workers... be assured that we love you all and you shall always remain in our hearts. We are firm in our conviction that you deserve a better future”.

Last Saturday I had the distinct honour and priviledge to represent the Municipality at the solemn ceremony of the reburial of the remains of the late Mr Tamsanqa Poto, a former member of Cosas and Umkhonto Wesizwe who was murdered by the apartheid security forces and buried as a pauper.

The plans of the Municipality to accelerate the development of the youth in sport, construction, music, the arts, IT sector, culture, business and all other sectors in this Metro will be a lasting, fitting tribute to people like Poto.

I am also happy with the progress being made to prepare a budget and IDP that responds to the service delivery challenges of our people. With the new leadership of the Metro and the assistance we are receiving from provincial and national government, we have a golden opportunity to make meaningful, decisive interventions to improve the lives of our people.

We need to seize this moment.

It is my sincere hope that the positive spirit of engagement and public participation that informed the development of the IDP will always prevail and be the pillar of the interaction between the public representatives and the community.

The neglect and vandalisation of public community facilities is a great source of concern. I want to implore all Councillors to engage with the community to find ways to protect these facilities.

In conclusion, I would like to thank you Honourable Executive Mayor and the leadership collective for the eagerly awaited announcement of the Mayoral Committee.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the brand new members of the Mayoral Committee. We respect the individual and collective skills and experience that you bring to the leadership of the Metro.

We look forward to working with all of you.

I want to leave the new Mayoral Committee and all Councillors with an inspirational message from the legendary Kenyan activist, umama u Wangari Muthhai when she says;

“In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now.”

Now the work must be accelerated.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!