As employees of refuse-removal company Pikitup were returning to work following a strike, which has left the city of Johannesburg under a blanket of municipal waste, Gauteng Premier David Makhura on Friday noted that the provincial legislature had made significant strides in service delivery.

During his second political report to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, he highlighted that a renewed focus would be placed on further improving service delivery, adding that, over the last few months the Ntirhisano Service Delivery War Room had assisted government in reaching out to communities.

During the year under review, the local government also responded to 80% of issues reported through its hotline in 72 hours, while 90% of issues raised had been resolved.

“We want to ensure that by the end of 2015/16, we will have visited most of the communities in our province, particularly where there are serious complaints and weaknesses of service delivery and incomplete infrastructure projects,” he told the legislature.

The Premier pointed out that, during the Ntirhsiano community outreach programme, young people involved in social and economic initiatives had said they did not want hand outs, but a “hand up”.

Meanwhile, as reports surfaced that South Africa was perceived to be the most corrupt country on the continent, Makhura also highlighted that local government would crack down on corruption.

“We have intervened in the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation to address internal administrative weaknesses. We are very serious about fighting the scourge of corruption, as it is a crime against the poor.

“Gauteng will definitely become a corruption-free zone under the African National Congress-led provincial government,” he said.

He added that “next year, there will be no more plans, next year is about implementation”.

TOWNSHIP REVITILISATION
On the Gauteng government’s plans to revilatise township economies, Makhura reported that it had, by the end of October, spent R800-million on procurement from township-based enterprises.

Over 90 townships benefited, including Alexandra, Daveyton, Hammanskraal, Soshanguve and Soweto. “Over 3 600 township enterprises have been registered and stand to benefit going forward.

“We are also upscaling our flagship programme Tshepo 500 000 to [assist] skills development, facilitate employment and set up start-up business,” Makhura commented, adding that it had now registered 30 000 unemployed young people and helped 20 000 to find sustainable jobs.