October 27, 2003
By Lucky Sindane
MAYORAL committee member Councillor Brian Hlongwa believes in an open administration and his personality reflects this as he speaks freely about his work and his personal life.
Sitting behind the large wooden desk in the metro offices in Parktown, Hlongwa is relaxed and very forthcoming about his council tasks. Hlongwa is the council member responsible for keeping a keen eye on the three Johannesburg service delivery entities - Johannesburg Water, the City's water and sanitation utility, City Power, providing residents with electricity and Pikitup, the waste collection company.
As the councillor overseeing service delivery to the residents of the City of Johannesburg Hlongwa views his work as "challenging but very rewarding".
"When I go to bed at night I am a happy man, because I know there are families whose homes are being connected to electricity supplies and who are getting access to clean water."
This does not mean that the work of the three service providers is easy. On the contrary, "keeping up with the population growth of Johannesburg" means that service provision has to be constantly monitored upgraded and extended.
Married to Joeline and with two young children, five-year-old Nokuthula and three-year-old Zanele, Hlongwa has enormous experience in working with people to improve economic and social conditions.
Born in Soweto in 1965, Hlongwa was influenced by the climate in which he lived. "Living in Soweto, where the influence of people like Winnie-Madikizela-Mandela and Steve Biko were part of the daily life, created a love of politics in me."
His family were also involved in political activities and "the events of 1976 had a massive impact on my consciousness", the councillor said.
In 1979, when he started high school, he joined the Congress of South African Students and after matriculating from Mofore Mphahle High School in Molapo in 1983 Hlongwa became a member of the Soweto Youth Congress, an affiliate of the United Democratic Front. He was also employed as an organiser for the Soweto Civic Association
As a result of his activities, the apartheid government detained Hlongwa without trial in 1985 for six months and following his release he joined the underground movement of the African National Congress. He was once again arrested and imprisoned - again without a trial - in Diepkloof Prison for two years, from 1987 to 1989.
On his release Hlongwa became involved in establishing a centre to help people who had been detained with finding jobs, establishing small businesses and raising funds for those who wanted to further their studies.
Besides the many years spent in activities opposing the apartheid government, Hlongwa did not neglect his own studies and made sure he got the formal skills that would stand him in good stead in the future. He has a national diploma in management and administration for non-profit making companies and a national diploma in property development from the Wits Public Development and Management School. He also completed a one-year course at Damelin in project management.
After the first national democratic elections in South Africa in 1994 Hlongwa entered local government. In 1996 he worked for the Northern Metropolitan Local Council, where he was responsible for local economic development.
With the formation of the unicity on 5 December 2000 Executive Mayor Amos Masondo appointed Hlongwa to his mayoral committee, giving him the job of overseeing the provision of services to the city's citizens.
The hard working councillor is determined to balance these needs with the ubiquitous budgetary constraints, ensuring that the services provided are first rate.
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