Pretoria – Achievements brought by democracy should not be taken for granted, says Ekurhuleni Mayor Mondli Gungubele.
He said between 1994 and June 2010, the government had built over 2.5 million homes for South Africans of all races.
Delivering the State of the City’s Address on Tuesday, Gungubele said the dignity of over 13 million people had been restored as they now had shelter.
“This social maturity that we are celebrating today is a culmination of decades of struggle. It is for that reason that we should always remind ourselves of where we came from, in order that the achievements made thus far are not taken for granted,” he said.
Gungubele said since 1994, more than 1 600 clinics have been built or upgraded in the country, making quality healthcare accessible to many South Africans.
“These are but some of the many tangible benefits of democracy to which our residents can testify. It is these benefits of democracy that help us build a united South Africa, free from the racism, sexism, tribalism and religious bigotry that characterised our nation twenty years ago,” he said.
He said almost all households in South Africa had access to clean, drinking water - up from 60% before the dawn of democracy.
Turning the spotlight on Ekurhuleni, Gungubele said prior to the year 2000, 48 444 stands in Ekurhuleni were serviced.
He said a total of 82 000 houses have been built in Ekurhuleni to date, 68 000 of which were built since the formation of the Metro.
“More work must be done in order to sustain, and improve on these achievements though. For us as the City of Ekurhuleni, it is important that we create certain conditions in order to sustain the character of our city as a socially mature one that can never be undermined,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
