FOCUS Mangaung’s new
FOCUS Mangaung’s new mayor hits the ground running The new Mayor of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has pledged to continue with service delivery projects initiated by the previous council. The city of Mangaung stands on the threshold of a new era following a decision by the Municipal Demarcation Board; its area of jurisdiction is once again being extended (this happened in 2011 as well). The Metropolitan Municipality now incorporates both Soutpan and Naledi local municipalities. This presents the metro with both challenging and exciting times. The boundaries of Mangaung Metro are now made up of Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, Thaba Nchu Dewetsdorp, Wepener, Van Stadensrus and Soutpan. With Executive Mayor Councillor Matawana Olly Mlamleli at the helm, Mangaung Metro will continue to accelerate service delivery, focusing on the eight (8) developmental priorities that had been set by the previous council. These are: • Poverty eradication, rural and economic development and job creation • Financial sustainability including revenue enhancement and clean audits • Spatial development and the built environment • Eradication of the bucket system and VIP toilets • Development of sustainable and integrated human settlements • Implementation of an Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) • Environmental management and climate change • Social and community services “These are the key areas we will be focusing on in this fourth electoral cycle of a democratic local government. We are content that this work will advance the people’s power in every ward of our city,” said the Executive Mayor Mlamleli during her inauguration in September 2016. Good governance The newly elected Executive Mayor has vowed to uphold the principles of good governance. “I will ensure increased public involvement in the affairs of the Council, sound political leadership and administration as well as fiscal prudence, working closely with the oversight institutions including the Office of the Auditor-General. I intend to sustain cordial working relations with labour as a basis for strategic partnerships,” she said. The incorporation of Naledi and Soutpan brings with it further challenges due to the disparity of service levels, distance and an expanded Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Annual Performance Report 2011/2012 Executive Mayor Cllr Matawana Olly Mlamleli rural element. All developmental plans as they apply to the regions of Bloemfontein, Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu will equally be applicable to and cater for Naledi and Soutpan in all respects. Residents of Mangaung should regard this merger as one that brings with it economic spin-offs in the realm of the agrarian economy, as the economy of these new areas is predominantly driven by agriculture. As the city prioritises, it does so from the premise of consolidated and incorporated planning as defined by the current Consolidated Integrated Developmental Plan (IDP) and beyond this, an IDP of the municipality of Mangaung as re-determined by the Municipal Demarcations Board. FREE STATE BUSINESS 2017 26
FOCUS The IPTN – an artist’s impression of an open station in Mangaung. The Executive Mayor Cllr Olly Mlamleli patches a pothole in Freedom Square after handing out roadworks machinery. Integrated Public Transport Network Subsequent to numerous consultations with the public and taxi associations in Mangaung, the city formally introduced the Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) to residents of the city and stakeholders in October 2016 as part of Transport Month, which is observed nationally. This initiative was formalised by the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the transport industry in Bloemfontein. The IPTN will ensure the provision of an efficient, reliable, safe and affordable public transport system for residents of Mangaung. Upon completion, the IPTN is envisaged to change the face of public commuting in Mangaung, and ultimately the economic potential of the province. The firstphase corridor along the Maphisa Route has been completed and the city will move with speed to ensure that other phases of the IPT Network are implemented. Mangaung has grown as a city, substantially in land mass – and as such, the challenges of mobility within the metropole need to be attended to as a matter of urgency. Reliable public transport is a foundation for our economy, and as this service expands, we will increasingly be able to attract potential investors, which will in turn create additional economic opportunities for our people. Among other achievements, the city of Mangaung garnered a number of PMR.Africa awards in October 2016, as a result of surveys conducted annually across the province. The ratings are based on the perceptions of 110 CEOs, company directors, senior employees and officials in the private sector, as well as the local and provincial government sector. Mangaung was the highest-rated municipality in the province in the following categories, receiving the Diamond Arrow for: • Most effective communication and marketing strategies in the Free State province • Municipalities doing the most for social upliftment • Municipalities doing the most to attract foreign/international investment • Municipalities doing the most to attract local investment • Municipalities doing the most to attract tourism • Municipalities doing the most for job creation • Municipalities doing the most to fight crime • Municipalities doing the most to clean the environment To stay up to date with news and activities around Mangaung, please see: www.mangaung.co.za or visit our Facebook pages: Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and Mayor’s Page: Executive Mayor Olly Mlamleli. Residents can contact us via the call centre: 0800 111 300. 27 FREE STATE BUSINESS 2017
