WATCH | Five things you must know about Ekurhuleni mayor’s state of city address

On Wednesday, Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza delivered his state of the city address, saying the city had entered the end of the barren years. However, political parties including the EFF and FF+ said they had not expected much from Xhakaza’s speech.

According to Jennifer Glover, FF+ caucus leader in Ekurhuleni, her party had become used to a culture where the current mayor basically tweaked his speech from the previous year.

In the aftermath of the speech, EFF chair in Gauteng Nkululeko Dunga labelled Xhakaza a liar, accusing him of trying to create an illusion of hope, especially when it came to city finances. According to Dunga, the city is running a deficit of R8bn.

Here are five key points from Xhakaza’s address:

• Ekurhuleni is treating, with seriouness, revelations made about the city during the Madlanga Commission.
• The years 2021 until 2024 were “barren” years (wasted) that were marked by systemic distress and institutional decline that nearly collapsed service delivery in the city.
• The city has introduced the Tambo Springs SEZ, a project set to deliver significant long-term economic benefits to Gauteng, underpinned by an estimated R23.6bn capital investment. During the construction phase, the project is expected to contribute to and support about 50,000 jobs and enable more than 1,000 new Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.
• The current administration is facing a challenge with ICT billing and rates collection. As a result, there is a revenue shortfall of about R2.1bn.
• By the second quarter of the current financial year, the City of Ekurhuleni‘s revenue stood at R34.542bn, compared to a budgeted R34.311bn, a positive variance of R231m. The city’s cash on hand has improved and is currently sitting on 19 days.

Sowetan