Mashaba Welcomes Minister Mkhize’s Engagement with the City of Johannesburg

17 April 2019

Yesterday, I welcomed Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Minister Zweli Mkhize, in a meeting with the City of Johannesburg.

During the meeting, Minister Mkhize committed to the kind of inter-governmental approach to Alexandra that I had called for in order to address the challenges faced by the people of Alexandra.

Minister Mkhize engaged the City in good faith, recognising the grievances in Alexandra are a product of decades of broken promises and failures across all three spheres of government.

From day one, I have insisted that this is what is required.

Political campaigns need to be set aside in favour of all three spheres of government working together in the best interests of the people of Alexandra.

I have committed the City to this process in order to bring the kind of solutions that we were to present at the IDP session on Monday evening.

The inter-ministerial committee will find our multi-party government cooperative in this regard, as long as their approach avoids the kind of politics that has characterised the situation to date.

I am perturbed by reports in the media that I will be attending this inter-ministerial meeting this evening.

The engagement this evening involves Ministers who form part of the inter-ministerial committee and not the City of Johannesburg.

The City is, however, committed to an inter-governmental engagement, involving all three spheres of government, and the people of Alexandra, in the very near future.

Issued by Luyanda Mfeka, Director: Mayoral Communications, Office of the Executive Mayor, 17 April 2019