THE newly elected mayor of Ekurhuleni, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, says he will get the ball rolling.
He said he wants to ensure that the needs of residents are taken into account.
Xhakaza, who is a member of the African National Congress (ANC), said he's committed to addressing service delivery issues.
This after he was nominated unopposed at the extraordinary council meeting in Germiston on Thursday, 11 April.
"Our commitment is to serve the people of Ekurhuleni and do our best to deliver services. In the coming weeks, we will be appointing the mayoral committee members to ensure that the City of Ekurhuleni is on the right track and that there's collective leadership to advance the concerns of the government," Xhakaza said.
He said that by working with other political parties, they will endeavour to serve the community of Ekurhuleni.
“By consulting with members of the different parties in Ekurhuleni, we can provide better and more effective services to the people,” he said.
He said they'll pay special attention to the issues of electricity, water, waste and roads.
ALSO READ: Zuma's IEC win fuels MK's drive
“The way the council has gone about it shows that we need to be consultative to get involved and ensure that we build a council that is more up to date and more cohesive.
“We can only do this if we utilise the opportunities we are given through service delivery and use the multi-party platform to ensure we can push all issues forward,” Xhakaza said.
The ANC councillor was elected unopposed and sworn in by Magistrate Mumtaz Dawray in the council chamber.
MEC for the Departments of e-government, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Mzikayifani Khumalo said it was a historic event that the new mayor was elected unopposed.
"Whatever happened in the council must be commended because all parties were united to solve the mayor's problems," he said. "This has laid the foundation for all political parties to be willing to work together," Khumalo said
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has welcomed Xhakaza’s appointment.
Lesufi said he was confident that the new mayor had the best interests of the municipality at heart.
"The ball is now in the hands of the political parties to finalise the establishment of the mayoral committee, which will represent all parties represented on council," Lesufi said
Xhakaza takes over the hot seat after former mayor Sivuyile Ngodwana was ousted in a motion of no confidence, leaving the city without a mayor.
Xhakaza, an ANC deployee and member of Ekurhuleni's regional task team, is not new to the city council.
He was a former MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services under the deposed Ngodwana.
Xhakaza is also a former MMC for Finance and Economic Development under former ANC mayor Mzwandile Masina.
He said he wants to ensure that the needs of residents are taken into account.
Xhakaza, who is a member of the African National Congress (ANC), said he's committed to addressing service delivery issues.
This after he was nominated unopposed at the extraordinary council meeting in Germiston on Thursday, 11 April.
The newly elected mayor of Ekurhuleni, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, said he's ready to work. Photo by Happy Mnguni
"Our commitment is to serve the people of Ekurhuleni and do our best to deliver services. In the coming weeks, we will be appointing the mayoral committee members to ensure that the City of Ekurhuleni is on the right track and that there's collective leadership to advance the concerns of the government," Xhakaza said.
He said that by working with other political parties, they will endeavour to serve the community of Ekurhuleni.
“By consulting with members of the different parties in Ekurhuleni, we can provide better and more effective services to the people,” he said.
He said they'll pay special attention to the issues of electricity, water, waste and roads.
ALSO READ: Zuma's IEC win fuels MK's drive
“The way the council has gone about it shows that we need to be consultative to get involved and ensure that we build a council that is more up to date and more cohesive.
“We can only do this if we utilise the opportunities we are given through service delivery and use the multi-party platform to ensure we can push all issues forward,” Xhakaza said.
The ANC councillor was elected unopposed and sworn in by Magistrate Mumtaz Dawray in the council chamber.
MEC for the Departments of e-government, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Mzikayifani Khumalo said it was a historic event that the new mayor was elected unopposed.
"Whatever happened in the council must be commended because all parties were united to solve the mayor's problems," he said. "This has laid the foundation for all political parties to be willing to work together," Khumalo said
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has welcomed Xhakaza’s appointment.
Lesufi said he was confident that the new mayor had the best interests of the municipality at heart.
"The ball is now in the hands of the political parties to finalise the establishment of the mayoral committee, which will represent all parties represented on council," Lesufi said
Xhakaza takes over the hot seat after former mayor Sivuyile Ngodwana was ousted in a motion of no confidence, leaving the city without a mayor.
Xhakaza, an ANC deployee and member of Ekurhuleni's regional task team, is not new to the city council.
He was a former MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services under the deposed Ngodwana.
Xhakaza is also a former MMC for Finance and Economic Development under former ANC mayor Mzwandile Masina.
For more news and entertainment at the palm of your hand, follow our WhatsApp Channel via this link
