Mayor Mashaba leads clean-up drive in Lenasia

12 April 2017

 

Johannesburg Executive Mayor Cllr Herman Mashaba swapped his suit for overalls, a cap, protective boots and hand gloves to lead a clean-up campaign in the Lenasia CBD – including the taxi rank – in Region G, south of Johannesburg, on Tuesday April 11.

 

He was part of a high-profile contingent that included City leaders and officials from entities such as Pikitup, Johannesburg Roads Agency, Johannesburg City Parks & Zoo and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) that went on a massive cleaning up spree to demonstrate the City's commitment to a clean, healthy and safe environment.

Cllr Mashaba – accompanied by a number of Members of the Mayoral Committee, including Cllr Nico de Jager (Environment and Infrastructure Services), Cllr Nonhlanhla Sifumba (Community Development) and Cllr Muzi Ntuli (Housing), as well as Regional Director Mickey Padiachee and several councillors – collected rubbish from the streets, pavements and dump sites and placed it in plastic refuse bags for disposal.

The Mayor said this was part of the City’s campaign to lead by example. Speaking to residents and members of the Lenasia Business Forum (LBF) at the Lenasia Civic Centre after a two-hour clean-up drive, Cllr Mashaba said this marked the beginning of a partnership between the City and communities to improve residents’ quality of life.

“We’ve made the safety of our communities and living in a clean environment part of our top priorities. We’ve recently employed 1 500 JMPD officers to ensure that visible policing becomes a reality. We’re now busy with clean-up campaigns and the fixing of potholes to make sure residents have a better life. We would like you to work with us to make our dream come true. 

“We’re aware that the spirit of entrepreneurship in Lenasia is no longer there. We want to show you that our government is the government that listens to people and is for the poor,” he said.

The Mayor said his administration had proposed a R10-billion capital expenditure budget for the 2017-2018 financial year, expected to be approved in May. He asked residents to give an input on how this money should be spent.

“With our limited budget, we’re committed to improving the lives of our people. We’ve declared corruption our enemy No 1. Nobody is going to stand in our way in our fight against corruption. Please give us time to deliver on our promises as we’re just eight months into office. We’ve a backlog of 3 000 housing units that we’re committed to tackling.

“I’m at your service. I’m the mayor of all residents, irrespective of their political affiliation,” Mashaba said.

Pastor SNM Napier of the Lenasia Community Development Centre said he appreciated the Mayor’s visit and his commitment to improving service delivery. He said he was positive people’s lives would change for the better.

LBF Chairman Yunus Bhamjee welcomed Mayor Mashaba’s engagement with members of his forum. He said he was interested to know how the Mayor planned to ensure that Johannesburg reached its economic growth potential.