OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE MAYOR
Block B | 2nd Floor | Tshwane House | 320 Madiba Street | Pretoria | 0002
PO Box 440 | Pretoria | 0001
Tel: 012 358 4903
Email: sallym@tshwane.gov.za | www.tshwane.gov.za | www.facebook.com/CityOfTshwane
January 2022
Monthly media statement from the Executive Mayor of Tshwane
Dear Tshwane residents
I would like to wish you all a joyful and happy New Year!
May 2022 be a year that is filled with hope for you and your families as we look towards the future together.
As we enter the new year, let us take a moment to reflect on 2021, a year which was immensely difficult across the country and globally. This came as we continued to contend with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic; a pandemic which has had a fundamental and lasting change on the global economy and how we work.
It was a year that brought difficulty where many faced economic hardship or suffered personal losses.
However, it was also a year that made us resilient and strong. From this I believe we can always draw hope – hope for a brighter future and hope for our country.
Our collective goal for 2022 must now be to create a prosperous economic environment for all South Africans. With the lessons we have learnt in the past year, we must create a future that will take our country forward. A future which seeks to empower individuals and stimulate opportunities to drive prosperity for all.
May 2022 be a year filled with hope for you and your families!
Announcement of the Members of the Mayoral Committee
During December 2021, numerous political parties came together to conclude a coalition government agreement to take governance in the City of Tshwane forward. This agreement is a historic first for our municipality.
The coalition agreement for the City of Tshwane includes the Democratic Alliance (DA), ActionSA, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) and the Congress of the People (Cope). Jointly these parties make up a majority of the City of Tshwane Council.
Once the coalition agreement was concluded, we were able to decide on the Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMCs) who play a crucial role in supporting the Executive Mayor.
They are as follows:
• MMC for Finance and Leader of Executive Business – Ald Peter Sutton (DA)
• MMC for Human Settlements – Cllr Abel Tau (ActionSA)
• MMC for Community Safety – Ald Grandi Theunissen (FF Plus)
• MMC for Roads and Transport – Cllr Dikeledi Selowa (DA)
• MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning – Cllr André le Roux (ActionSA)
• MMC for Health – Cllr Rina Marx (FF Plus)
• MMC for Social Development and Community Services – Cllr Peggy de Bruin (ActionSA)
• MMC for Corporate and Shared Services – Cllr Kingsley Wakelin (DA)
• MMC for Utility Services – Cllr Phillip Nel (DA)
The MMC for Environment and Agriculture Management will be finalised in due course. In the meantime, I have asked Cllr Dikeledi Selowa to act in this portfolio.
I am pleased to have a team of individuals that are fit and ready to serve the people of Tshwane.
Infrastructure maintenance
During December 2021, we faced a series of challenges, particularly in relation to the electrical grid, which I know caused immense frustration to residents. The month started with a fire at Mooikloof Substation, which burnt down and required us to completely rebuild it as quickly as possible. This is work that should take months to do, but our teams were able to mobilise and complete the work within two weeks.
What is incredibly frustrating about this event is that we had already earmarked Mooikloof Substation for refurbishment in this budgetary year. In fact, the day after the fire the tender for the refurbishment of the substation was awarded.
The same was true for Wapadrand Substation, which burnt down in July 2021. This substation had also been earmarked for refurbishment and the fire occurred while the tender processes were taking place.
The Wapadrand Substation site has been handed over to a contractor to begin the refurbishment process.
We are currently in a vicious game of catch-up to ensure that we maintain and refurbish our critical infrastructure in Tshwane.
These substations and others should have been refurbished almost a decade ago, but a failure to prioritise the work has led to this infrastructure degrading.
One of our biggest challenges also relates to continuous instances of cable theft and infrastructure vandalism, which we are policing across Tshwane. Cable theft, in particular, is a scourge across the country which causes significantly damage.
For example, towards the end of December 2021, Kloofsig Substation caught fire. This was directly linked to cable theft that affected some of the panels at the substation and compromised their functionality.
Load-shedding has also significantly aged and weakened our infrastructure. The switchgear systems and panels in our substations were never designed to be turned on and off repeatedly, as the power surges weaken their integrity.
The refurbishment of our critical infrastructure will remain a top priority for the City going forward. It simply cannot be compromised on or delayed. It is an issue we are tackling head-on.
I want to thank residents for their patience in this regard. I know that power outages are immensely frustrating, but I want to assure you that we are putting in the required remedies to ensure that this infrastructure is properly maintained.
We are in a race against time as this is work that should have been done years ago. Nonetheless, we are fully committed towards ensuring that we have a strong and stable power supply in Tshwane.
Once again, my best wishes to you and your families for the New Year, may it be filled with prosperity and hope as we look towards the future.
