Gauteng government leaders say plans to transform, modernise and reindustrialise the Gauteng region are on track.
“The Gauteng City Region is becoming a reality and there is closer collaboration between the provincial government and all municipalities in the province,” said Gauteng Provincial Government spokesperson, Thabo Masebe.“Over the past 16 months, good progress has been made in harmonising the plans of the province and municipalities, and a common perspective on the government priorities is emerging across the Gauteng City Region.
“The Gauteng City Region is becoming a reality and there is closer collaboration between the provincial government and all municipalities in the province,” said Gauteng Provincial Government spokesperson, Thabo Masebe.
Masebe was speaking on the last day of the Extended Gauteng Executive Council Lekgotla, which is attended by the Premier, Members of the Executive Council, Mayors of the Metropolitan and District Municipalities and senior government officials.
The meeting received and is assessing a progress report on what has been done to transform the Gauteng City Region.
The vision behind the transformation and modernisation of the Gauteng City Region is to build a city that is able to respond adequately and appropriately to future development and a growing population. It is to build a smart, working city that caters to the needs of its residential and commercial residents.
Provincial government and local municipalities have agreed to work together in several areas to make the vision of a transformed Gauteng City Region a reality.
Some of the areas of collaboration include:
- Investing in infrastructure that will transform public transport, energy, water and sanitation services, broadband technology and green spaces.
- Building new economic nodes to promote balanced development throughout the city region.
- Revitalising and mainstreaming the township economy and development of SMMEs and cooperatives through active industrial incentives and transformative procurement policy that promotes the growth of township-based manufacturing and services.
- Accelerating social transformation by improving the quality of education, healthcare, community safety and food security in a manner that promotes economic inclusion, social cohesion and nation-building.
- Intervening through different programmes to address the explosive situation of youth unemployment and marginalisation.
- Building a capable, responsive, accountable, clean and activist state machinery through interventions such as the integrity management units and open tender system.
- Developing a well-coordinated approach to international trade, investment and cooperation.
The meeting will also assess the ongoing Ntirhisano Service Delivery programme, which aims to improve service delivery and the implementation of projects.
The Ntirhisano Community Outreach programme has seen the Premier, Mayors and MECs visit communities across the length and breadth of the province.
Leaders also commended the Johannesburg Mayor for providing leadership during the tragic incident of the collapsed Sandton bridge. The council sent condolences to the families that lost their loved ones and wished a speedy recovery to those who sustained injuries. - SAnews.gov.za
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