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BCM staff urged to embrace Football Fridays Buffalo City’s Councillors and Officials at the launch of BCM Football Friday In line with the ongoing initiative to rally behind the nation’s efforts to host a successful soccer world cup, Buffalo City 2010 recently launched ‘Yellow Football Friday’ at the East London City Hall. Football Friday is aimed at encouraging staff to wear yellow national soccer jerseys on Fridays in an effort to drum up support for national football squad Bafana Bafana ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Former Bafana Bafana star Brendon Augustine presented a ceremonial Bafana Bafana jersey to the Executive Mayor Zukisa Faku to officially launch the campaign. According to the City’s 2010 office, the campaign will run until the start of the World Cup with prize giveaways to various Directorates that embraced Football Fridays fever. Engineering Services launch key infrastructural Projects The City’s Engineering Directorate was on a Service Delivery drive to launch infrastructural projects in King William’s Town and Mdantsane in November last year. The projects which include sanitation projects in Zinyoka, a bridge between Bonke and Zwelitsha and road construction in Mdantsane were identified by communities during Integrated Development Plans hearings. Speaking at the Izinyoka Village, Executive Mayor Zukisa Faku said: “The City is happy that the people of Zinyoka welcomed these ablution facilities and have worked together with the contractors in making this project a success. It is always a pleasure to see people delighted at receiving Municipal services,” she added. Approximately 123 local men and women were employed at the development project. Funds of R19-million were sourced from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG). The visits to these projects ended with a tour of the Mdantsane Road Upgrade, Reeston Electrical Substation and Duncan Village Road Upgrade. Speaking at the Zone 10 road construction site, the Portfolio Head for Engineering, Luntu Bobo, said: “This tour serves as [an observation] of how far the department has gone with its projects and the efforts we have made to bring services to people.” Portfolio Head responsible for Engineering Services Councillor Luntu Bobo celebrates with a community member at the launch of flushing toilets in Mdantsane informal settlement. 4
Executive Mayor brings smiles to City’s needy Buffalo City Executive Mayor, Zukisa Faku paid a visit to hospitals in and around the city to bring festive cheer to children who have been hospitalized during this festive season. The visit was part of the Annual Mayoral Christmas Outreach Programme aimed at spreading messages of hope and goodwill to city’s needy and vulnerable. The delegation comprising of City Councillors and Officials visited Grey and Bhisho hospitals before heading to Cecilia Makiwane and Frere hospitals in East London, where they were greeted BCM’s Executive Mayor Zukisa Faku hand over goody bag to a child at Grey Hospital. One-on-One with the Executive Mayor by appreciative similes from staff, parents and children. Faku handed out toys and goody packs containing sweets and chocolates to the sick children. The Executive Mayors social responsibility programme also included a lunch with 500 elderly persons residing in Buffalo City area. Speaking at the elderly person’s lunch held at the East London City Hall Executive Mayor said: “If it were up to me I’d call every elderly person in Buffalo City to a stadium and provide food parcels for all of you, I want everyone to be happy on Christmas,” said Faku EXACTLY a year since her appointment as Buffalo City Executive Mayor, the Executive Mayor spoke about the City’s challenges and prospects for the new year and this is what she had to say. The interview appeared on the Daily Dispatch. What can Buffalo City residents expect in the New Year? This year is going to be a good year for Buffalo City. First of all, it was my anniversary. I was sworn in as executive mayor exactly a year ago, on January 14. It’s going to be a good year in terms of putting in place all the service delivery issues. In my State of the City address you will remember I had my key priority areas. But we didn’t manage them well last year. But all systems are in place this year to move forward, so it’s going to be a good year for the city in terms of sport, in terms of service delivery, and in terms of customer care. I promised a rapid response unit. We are planning to implement that this year. Once we have that rapid response unit we will be able to quickly attend to the complaints. It will be based in the municipal manager’s office. What are some of the weaknesses in the administration that need urgent attention? It’s spending our budget. You’ll remember I said that I didn’t want any rollovers last year. But it looks like there are going to be rollovers again. But the directors have promising me they are going to speed up matters; they’ve put a mechanism to speed up the spending. Have you seen any improvements in some of those issues you raised in your State of the City address, such as the billing system, refuse collection, or infrastructure? Yes, I’ve seen improvements, though not the way I wanted to. There are challenges – our supply chain management (SCM) system is not in place so projects are delayed but we are fixing that problem. We have advertised and are filling the vacancies. Once our supply chain is up and running, all the projects from the departments (will run). So the tendering process is slow. The supply chain management policy was challenged in court last year. Have you resolved some of the issues that were raised? We have resolved all those things. We wanted to push a transformation agenda. There was a pre-qualification system and we wanted to make it a point that previously disadvantaged people get big contracts, but it didn’t work. So we resolved as a Council and said let’s put it aside. So after that the projects were quicker. How is the new Acting Municipal Manager, doing? Last year we had so many problems besides political challenges. Administrative challenges were there because there was no one, the centre couldn’t hold. There was no one who was looking at the performance of the directors. So there is a person in charge now who is pushing the directors. Things are going to be smoother this year. Is his appointment making a difference? Yes, it’s making a lot of difference because they (directors) are writing reports. We know now what they are doing and where they are going because they are reporting. It’s positive, everybody is working hard. So there is a change. On the municipal manager issue, what’s happening with the high court case to have the appointment of a permanent municipal manager set aside? I think we will see an end to the case. But for stability purposes I will ask the minister (of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs) for at least six months (for the acting municipal manager) to assist the new (permanent) manager so that the transition is smooth. The refuse collection turnaround strategy is being implemented. Are we seeing any movement in the hiring of more staff? I would like us to employ more staff because there are lots of vacancies in that department. But I’m happy with the turnaround strategy. It will be fully implemented in February. There’s a new schedule for all residents. But some of the problems are caused by the residents themselves. People don’t take out their refuse or some people forget the day and the trucks go and people just put out their refuse afterwards. So we want everybody to know the dates of collection. In February the new collection days will become operational and will be advertised in the Daily Dispatch and other media. Maybe we just need our truck drivers not to make noise and be sensitive when people are sleeping. It’s their tradition when they work, you know. There were a number of political issues that affected the administration last year. Have these affected the way you carry out your duties as mayor? I’m hoping to see an end to the political instability. What are we doing to address issues like unemployment affecting underprivileged areas like Duncan Village? We need to use the Expanded Public Works Programme. We are encouraging the unemployed youth to do something like putting up car washes. At Mdantsane Highway, for example, there are people washing cars and taxis but there’s no space for them. We will also employ more people for grass cutting and refuse collection. That’s what I want to focus on this year. You mentioned the erroneous billing system – is it going to be revamped totally? No, it’s not going to be revamped. We’ve put in a system where people are dedicated to dealing with complaints. Have the Cameroonians made up their minds about being based in East London for the 2010 World Cup? Not yet. But there’s a 90 percent chance they are coming. They were impressed with our facilities. 5
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