BCM increases capital budget by 11%
Road works central to service delivery BCM positioned to invest, play and grow
AFTER inheriting 28 new villages from Amahlathi, Great-Kei and Ngqushwa municipalities, the Buffalo City Metro has committed to servicing its new communities, which have pleaded for delivery.
At the top of the metro’s priorities for the villages is for the thousands of villagers to have decent roads and infrastructure.
BCM executive mayor Xola Pakati said an additional 261km had been assessed from the 28 villages and 20km already been attended to in April and May.
In the upcoming financial year (2017-18) the metro is set to continue with the implementation of the roads master plan “to assist with planning for future roads programmes, projects and also with finalisation of the procurement process for the pavement management system”.
The metro prides itself with the R70.7-million Phase 2 of the Quenera-Beacon Bay link road, which is already under construction.
Phase 3 of the Mdantsane roads, which is valued at R372-million, and the R128-million Fleet Street projects will also continue.
“During March 2017, council approved a memorandum of agreement between BCM and the Eastern Cape department of roads and public works in order to address provincial roads within BCM.
“The department is exploring alternative resurfacing technology for gravel roads that will yield more stable gravel surface and longer lifespan,” said Pakati during his state of the metro address last week.
The metro is also working with South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) to rehabilitate the N2 route between Buffalo River and Breidbach intersection and the N2 route between Alexander Road and Bhisho.
“The N2 from Breidbach to the entrance into King William’s Town is currently being overlaid, with a new traffic circle having been constructed at the intersection of the N2 and Hargreaves Road. The section of Alexander Road from the outskirts of King William’s Town to the intersection of Grey Street is currently in progress,” said Pakati.
“The section of the N2 route from Grey Street to Cathcart street on Buffalo Road is currently being rehabilitated.
“It was the decision of Sanral to extend the rehabilitation of Buffalo Road, which is a provincial road as far as Everitt Close on the outskirts of King William’s Town.”
As part of the infrastructure programme , BCM has created 22 000 temporary jobs as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) by the end of May, with a salary bill of over R8.5-million.
Thousands of young people have been employed in major projects including:
● The upgrading of the Mdantsane gravel roads to surfaced standards cluster 2 where 827 jobs were created;
● 798 jobs were created from the upgrading of Mdantsane gravel roads surfaced standards cluster 3;
● The rehabilitation of Fleet Street created 962 jobs;
● 345 people benefited from the construction of concrete roads east of Gullsway;
● The electrification of Mdantsane Buffer strip saw 339 jobs created and;
● The King William’s Town public transport facilities upgrade has created 316 jobs. BUFFALO City Metro initiatives to educate and entertain its residents are proof that the city is a good place to invest, play and grow.
The metro has managed to position itself as the destination of choice to play and has identified tourism as one of the strategic economic sectors with a potential to grow and in turn assist with the growth of the regional economy and with job creation.
BCM mayor Xola Pakati said the metro had started to invest its resources in “cultivating lifestyle tourism through supporting a number of lifestyle events that continue to attract tourists into the city and contribute to the sustainability of our hospitality industry”.
However, the metro does not only invest in its entertainment and tourism events as it continuously spends millions of rands towards the education of young people.
This year alone a total of 36 young people were awarded bursaries through the metro’s bursary fund.
The current beneficiaries are studying information technology, finance, agriculture, planning and development and engineering.
Pakati said nine beneficiaries from last year graduated last month.
“Since the inception of the bursary fund in 2008, 40 beneficiaries have graduated. Currently seven are BCM interns, and three have been employed by BCM,” Pakati said.
Through its support for entertainment events, BCM has helped provide for the health and recreation of young and old in the Daily Dispatch Cycle Tour, Harley Davidson African Bike Week, Metro FM Heat Wave, Berlin November event and the Buyel’Ekhaya Pan African Music Festival.
Sports fanatics also enjoyed several top-flight soccer matches between December and May as Chippa United took some of their PSL games and a cup game to Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane.
Bafana Bafana hosted Angola in an international friendly at the Buffalo City Stadium and the SuperSport Rugby Challenge went to Mdantsane.
Pakati said the metro went on an “aggressive approach” in positioning itself as an events destination of choice.
He said negotiations to host Chippa in BCM next season are under way.
Despite not being awarded the host city rights for the cricket T20 Premier League recently, Pakati said the city would remain focused and committed to working with Border Cricket to secure future major tournaments in the city.
The metro’s annual franchise expo, now in its fourth year, has also grown since its inception as it attracted 50 exhibitors and more than 4 300 visitors.
In another effort to develop the economy, BCM prides itself on working closely with the department of economic development and environmental affairs, which has funded projects like Pro-Glove, a King William’s Town-based company that manufactures protective leather gloves and clothing; Ikusasa Green in Dimbaza industrial area, a plastic production company that makes cooler boxes; BuzweBethu, a Zwelitsha-based business that manufactures traditional outfits, Be Bright in Mdantsane, where chemical products are made, and the Magebheza Office Furniture in Fort Jackson Industrial Park where office furniture is manufactured.
All these businesses were funded with R3-million each.