Festive wishes from the mayor

Executive Mayor Parks Tau looks back on a busy year – in which he stepped in as mayor – as he wishes residents and visitors a happy and safe holiday.
IT has been a busy year for Joburg and its residents, and Executive Mayor Parks Tau would like to wish all Joburgers a safe and festive Christmas period.

Executive mayor Parks Tau wishes residents a happy Christmas and prosperous New YearExecutive mayor Parks Tau wishes residents a happy and safe holiday“Whether you are taking time off from work or are still working through the festive season, keep safe,” Tau says. “We trust that you will use this period to relax with family, friends and neighbours.

“Please do everything to support the efforts of law enforcement agencies. Adhere to the rules of the road: do not exceed the speed limit, look out for pedestrians, do not drink and drive, avoid drugs and similar substances and promote and encourage good conduct,” he adds.

Above all, he implores residents to protect women, children, the elderly and those with disabilities.

Change has been a keyword in Joburg in 2011. It was a year for local government elections, which heralded the appointment of Tau as executive mayor in May. He hit the ground running, implementing plans and policies to aid service delivery to the residents of Joburg. New members of the mayoral committee were also appointed.

As such, a lot has been achieved in the City in the last year, not least of which was the review and launch of the Joburg 2040 Growth and Development Strategy (GDS). The City consulted with stakeholders and residents from all over Joburg to formulate a common vision of the future and identify where the City needs to take action to overcome challenges.

Resource scarcity, climate change, inequality and food insecurity were only a few of the challenges to come under the microscope during the two-month outreach, which lasted from August to October, when the final document was published.

“It is clear that the GDS outreach process has also made great strides in bringing the citizens of Johannesburg closer to the City.”

Further change came when Mavela Dlamini left his position as City manager; Trevor Fowler stepped in and officially took up his position on 3 October.

“We can look back on the year 2011 with a significant degree of satisfaction and pride,” Tau says. “We can truly say that we are making a difference in the lives of the people of Johannesburg through the provision of essential services and the introduction of important social and economic programmes.”

Credit for the City’s successes can be attributed to its residents and their loyalty, according to Tau, and he would like to thank people for their participation in City events and programmes.

“Working together let us continue to build Johannesburg into a world-class African city for all,” he says.

“The City of Johannesburg would like to take this opportunity to wish all its residents and citizens of Johannesburg a great festive season and a happy, prosperous new year.”