Phalatse gears up for peaceful, productive engagement with Soweto residents
Joburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse is on Saturday morning meeting residents of Soweto to give feedback on service delivery issues, including the electricity crisis plaguing that community.
Phalatse is expected to address residents at the Jabulani Amphitheatre in Soweto following complaints emerging from the more than 20 memoranda of demands submitted to her office in June.
Her spokesperson Mabine Seabe says work is already underway to address the community's grievances.
"We received 22 memoranda when the residents of Soweto marched on the mayor's office and of course, 90% of those issues relate to Eskom, some of them relate to safety there's issues of the extended social package. Therefore, we have brought the entire city to be here on the ground. There will be help desks from finance, the extended social package office, the Johannesburg Road Agency will be here, and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department will be here so that residents of Soweto are able to directly engage with the City and the various departments and entities."
Residents coming in, to hear the address on the service delivery memoranda 🙏 #CoJinSoweto pic.twitter.com/7bvY1ZkFuY
— Executive Mayor Mpho Phalatse (@mphophalatse1) September 10, 2022
Soweto owes Eskom over R7 billion after the power utility wrote off R5.3 billion from an R12.8 billion debt last year.
Seabe says Phalatse is playing a mediatory role between residents and the power utility.
"The mayor has been very clear that just because residents of Soweto are being supplied by Eskom it does not mean it's not a City of Johannesburg issue. So, the mayor has engaged with various ministers at the treasury, the department of public enterprises as well at the mineral resources and energy department. The mayor has also engaged with the CEO of Eskom, and we are in constant communication with the Eskom management to find a lasting solution."
Saturday's meeting comes after the previous appointment last month was postponed due to the mayor's ill health.
Meanwhile, Seabe says that Phalatse remains confident that she’ll remain mayor despite attempts by opposition parties to boot her out of the council.
"There is no guillotine hanging over the mayor's head. The multi-party coalition is strong, is united and we have already started dealing with some of the rogue elements within the various political parties who voted in favour of the motion of no confidence in the speaker."
Representatives from Eskom, the SAPS, and faith-based organisations are also expected to participate in the public engagement.
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