You Should Have Done THIS on the First Day of Taking Office Gary

Furthermore, the Constitution specifies the status, objectives, duties, powers and functions of municipalities. In addition to the Constitution, there are a myriad of laws, legislation, policies & directives that all Municipalities are obliged to adhere to, primarily the Structures Act, Systems Act & Municipal Finance Management Act.
In all cases, the seat of the Executive Mayor is principally responsible for the execution of all such lawful obligations, both technically and developmentally.

These includes, but is not limited to, community participation, planning, performance management, public administration, monitoring and evaluation, credit control, debt collection, intergovernmental & international relations, tourism, and, most importantly, ensuring the delivery of all services to all our residents and businesses.

Part of these legislated fiduciary duties is to ensure that our IDP, Budget and SDBIP are implemented for the benefit of our residents and stakeholders, without hindrance, dilution or excuses.

In collaboration with the public and stakeholders of Nelson Mandela Bay, we have formulated the Integrated Development Plan and methodically calculated a Budget to resource the implementation thereof.

At the core, these plans are created to make sure that residents, business and all stakeholders receive efficient, affordable and efficient services like water, sanitation, quality roads, efficient electricity service and a conducive environment for economic development to thrive, a n environment that will create jobs and growth of the local economy, including township economy.

Should for whatever reason any resident or stakeholder experience challenges in the receipt of services that we are paid to deliver to you, should our infrastructure fail you, if the economic environment is not conducive to thriving activity that will stimulate jobs and improve our contribution to South Africa’s GDP, it is my duty, as the Executive Mayor to remedy such and put systems and processes in place to ensure reliable, effective and efficient service delivery.

I say this cognisant of the fact that I was elected in this position as a result of a coalition agreement among various political parties, that alone presents its own challenges.

Against such background and circumstance, I am working with the collective leadership team, to ensure proper, uninhibited, unclouded, excellent service delivery and community development. Our mindsets should rise above and commit to all that as political parties we promised, which is accelerated, efficient and quality service delivery.

We will not be deterred by constantly being drawn into a debate about coalitions, deployments and positions. Respective political parties have their leaders and representatives who obviously engage in such discussions. I leave that to them.

I have a job to do. It is a complex job but never un-accomplishable. My ability to ensure that all responsibilities bestowed upon me are uncompromisingly carried out, has a telling effect on the development, sustainability and upliftment of the people of Nelson Mandela Bay.

Service Delivery, Infrastructure Development, Municipal Transformation, Organisational Development, Local Economic Development, Financial Sustainability, Fiscal Viability, Good Governance, Public Participation, Monitoring and Evaluation, are but a few of the priorities we have set for ourselves as a community. And I shall not fail in this undertaking. I am not resigning or discussing to resign or reconsidering my current mission. Working with you, the people of Nelson Mandela Bay, we have a mission to accomplish.

Over the next few weeks, I shall embark on an extensive stakeholder engagement and community participation program, where I intend to listen intently to your challenges, needs and wants. Collaboratively, through these and other interactions, we will find integrated solutions together. We will commit to working together. And we will make Nelson Mandela Bay one of the safest, cleanest, buzzing, developmental, thriving, growing, friendliest Metro’s in South Africa.