Polokwane ready to become metro: Mayor Mpe
The Executive Mayor of Polokwane Municipality, John Mpe says the city is ready to transition into a metropolitan municipality.
Mpe was addressing a media breakfast engagement in Polokwane on Tuesday.
He said the municipality met all the required criteria and was currently operating within the same grading framework as existing metropolitan municipalities.
The mayor added that the city experienced significant growth, attracting both foreign direct investment and increased funding from the provincial government, including major projects such as the academic hospital and the Limpopo State Theatre.
“We are confident as Polokwane. We also have a plan that we will unveil with regard to the Peter Mokaba Sports Precinct integrated smart city development that will be massive, which will involve mainly the private sector. We will unveil that programme once all the planning has been done.
I am confident that Polokwane is growing and is going in the right direction. Of course, we have got other plans in terms of us getting the approval of the logistics spatial development zone around the Polokwane International Airport; it is a matter that we are discussing with our provincial government.”
Mpe said the broader vision is to position Polokwane as a city of choice, one that creates jobs, accommodates a growing population, and serves as a hub for economic activity in the province.
MPE WEIGHS IN ON THE INCOMPLETE SAND RIVER BRIDGE
Mpe acknowledged delays in some infrastructure projects, including the R50 million Sand River bridge on the Nelson Mandela Drive outside Polokwane, which began in 2021.
He attributed the delays to poor planning, saying the current administration has had to revisit and correct earlier mistakes.
He, however, said the municipality is committed to completing the project in the current financial year.
“You know, poor planning is a plan to fail. That is a project that we found, and we must go backward to try and correct the poor planning, and it is not easy when you correct; it is better when you start building. At the moment our plan is that this financial year, with the resources that we have put in place, we must complete that project.”
MPE REFLECTS ON HIS FIRST TERM AND POSSIBLE RETURN
Reflecting on his term, Mpe said he approaches the end of his five-year tenure with pride and no regrets.
“I applaud the team both at the political as well as the team within the municipality’s administration led by the Municipality Manager, but also appreciate the stakeholders. They believed in us and for them believing in us is what has made the difference”
On the question of a second term, Mpe said the decision lies with the African National Congress (ANC).
“I will always be available to serve, but the decision is the decision of the ANC. It is not about my personal ambitions. There are so many with uncontrollable ambitions, and when those ambitions do not happen, they move over to other political parties.
I did not join the ANC to become a mayor, in fact as a villager as I was, I never thought, even when I worked for the municipality, I studied, make sure I have got my degree, my qualifications now studying towards a Masters, because I thought that I would be an administrator of choice, but it happens the other way around and I happen to be now the mayor. The most important thing for us is to be grateful to the ANC for giving us these five years that will be completed in November,” he added.
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