Spokesman for the mayor Khotso Chikane and the City's head of communications Tasneem Carrim at the opening of council

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Metro Police parade at the opening of council

Members of the Emergency Services parade at the opening of council

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Mayor Masondo upbeat about Joburg in 2003 January 30, 2003 By Thomas Thale THE City of Johannesburg has recorded many positive developments over the past year and "is now on the upturn." This positive valuation was offered by Amos Masondo, the executive mayor of the city, at the ceremony marking the official opening of council on Thursday. Held on the grounds of the Metropolitan Centre, the ceremony was attended by dignitaries, including members of the diplomatic corps and politicians from the provincial government. Councillors in front on the Metro building in Braamfontein For the first time in the history of the unicity, members of the metro police and the emergency management services paraded and marched to the rhythm of tunes played by the South African Police Service brass band, much to the delight of the gathered crowd. In his speech, Masondo committed the City to achieving 93% average payment performance for the period June 2002 to May 2003 and to improving its revenue service. The mayor also announced a partnership between the City and CIDA campus. The agreement will see the City funding some CIDA students to the tune of R100 000. The mayor identified housing, HIV/Aids and crime as the challenges facing the city. He said the city will commit resources towards eradicating these maladies. Masondo admitted that the call center, Joburg Connect, needs some attention, but vowed that the city will continue striving for service excellence. According to Masondo, this year will see the completion of some "catalytic projects" - projects which will contribute towards economic development in the city, including the Nelson Mandela Bridge, the redevelopment of the Drill Hall. He called on the poor of the city to register at the relevant People's Centres in order to access free services offered by the city. The mayor also announced that water meters in Soweto are to be converted from "deemed consumption" to metered consumption. An amount of R350-million has been put aside to fund water conservation projects which will be rolled out this year. Overall the mayor expressed optimism that the year ahead will be a good one for residents of the city. Print this Page Send an online postcard E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za