Media statement 7 March 2024
Cllr Cilliers Brink
Executive Mayor of Tshwane
I would like to invite and welcome all communities and organisations in Tshwane that want to be part of our rescue mission that seeks to make the City work for all its people.
In the City of Tshwane, we have a whole-of-society approach, where the City seeks to work together with businesses, civil society and communities to improve service delivery and formalise partnerships among various stakeholders across the metropolitan area.
The reality is that as government we cannot do it alone, therefore, we encourage and welcome collaborative partnerships that will benefit our communities. It in this context that this week, the City of Tshwane signed a Memorandum of Understanding with civil society group AfriForum, giving effect to our whole-of-society approach.
AfriForum is keen on assisting the City to take care of communities by enhancing service delivery such as cutting grass, repairing potholes and providing other core services. Our approach has been to welcome such assistance from all organisations and to agree on the rules of engagement.
These types of agreements are not unique to AfriForum. Previously, we have worked with Hollard Insure to power up traffic lights during load-shedding and we have also worked with Hennops Revival and SoulBent to drive community clean-up campaigns.
While we welcome the help, we must be clear that this is not outsourcing services or a transfer of our municipal functions to any organisation with which we partner. The City will continue to render its normal municipal services, such as electricity supply, waste removal, water supply, sanitation, traffic policing, roads and street light maintenance, and so forth.
I would also like to highlight that the City recently launched the Community Upliftment Precinct (CUP) initiative. The CUP initiative is aimed at assisting residents, businesses and communities to enter into a formal agreement with the City to maintain and improve public infrastructure within their residential, business and industrial areas. Residents are encouraged to enquire about this initiative from their councillors and municipal offices.
Media enquiries:
Sipho Stuurman