Durban –Newly elected mayor of uMngeni Municipality Chris Pappas has pledged to give meaning to the word ’freedom’ for the residents of Midlands towns in the form of opportunities and service delivery.
In his maiden address, delivered partially in isiZulu, Pappas, said access to opportunities was what gave meaning to “our hard won freedoms.”
Pappas assumed the position of the mayor during a council meeting on Monday.
“Voting is not freedom, it's not freedom when we go to bed hungry, or when children play in dirty areas.
“In reality we must ask ourselves if we are truly free. If we live in dirty communities, are we free? If our businesses cannot flourish through no fault of our own, are we free? If our children and our grandchildren are in all probability going to be locked into a cycle of unemployment and poverty, are we free?” Pappas asked.
He said there was no doubt that the municipality had suffered for many years due to mismanagement, corruption, maladministration, cadre deployment, skewed priorities, the lack of consequence management and political infighting.
“These are some of the terms, the illnesses that we have endured. While politicians were fighting each other, our communities got poorer, dirtier, and decay set in. Those with the power to change people’s lives worried more about positions and protecting friends than they did about the people of uMngeni.
“This administration will be different. We must be different. We will stand with the hard working, freedom-loving people of the KZN Midlands,” he said.
Pappas said his administration would focus on five key priorities:
– Building safer communities by building partnerships with the SAPS, Community Policing Forums, community initiatives and private security.
“We will strengthen our own internal law enforcement mechanism and better use technology to fight crime.”
– By addressing issues of waste management and the environment.
“We must live in clean communities and we must actively look after the one resource that is not renewable, our planet. We will increase our capacity to collect and manage waste with a strong focus on recycling.”
– By making investments in Infrastructure and maintenance.
“This administration will focus heavily on roads, storm water, street lights, and in conjunction with Eskom and the district, electricity, water and sanitation. We must ensure that we can drive on our roads, that there is water in the pipes more often than there is not, and that the Howick CBD does not flood every time it rains.”
– By growing the economy and job creation
Pappas said there were too many unemployed people, several barriers to start a business, and there was too much uncertainty for investors to confidently choose uMngeni Municipality to set up their businesses.
THE MERCURY