It was a sea of orange overalls in the Nangoza Jebe Hall in New Brighton on Thursday, 15 November when the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality launched the creation of more than 1 000 jobs for community members under its Extended Public Works Programme.

Joining in on the orange fever was Executive Mayor, Cllr Zanoxolo Wayile, and Portfolio Chairperson for Infrastructure and Engineering, Cllr Andile Mfunda, both donning orange overalls in support of the workers who were celebrating their employment. The employees will start work on various community projects under the Expanded Public Works Programme and received certificates acknowledging completion of their training. 

Some of the community projects of the EPWP include water leaks repairs, first aid training, water metre auditing, waste management and renovations, security and business training, among others.

Part of the programme for the day was a visit to Qaphelani Primary and Lamani Primary Schools, where Mayor Wayile conducted an inspection of the renovation work carried out by the employees of the Expanded Public Works Programme.

The delegation also visited a child-headed household in Ward 18, where they joined EPWP workers to paint the house as part of their community work.

Mayor Wayile said targeting unemployment in the city was a priority. "This programme is multi-dimensional. Our projects include education, health, infrastructure and repairs of water leaks, where we train unemployed women and youth to work in their own areas and improve their own living conditions,” said Mayor Wayile.

Mayor Wayile said that the community workers are also equipped with valuable skills development which is conducted through reputable training institutions.

Executive Mayor, Cllr Zanoxolo Wayile, with Councillors and children at Lamani Primary School to inspect the renovations that have been done as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme.

Employees of the Municipality’s Expanded Public Works Programme received certificates for completing training in first aid.

Mayor Wayile meets some of the EPWP workers who completed renovations at Lamani Primary School as part of the EPWP community works project.

Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor, Cllr Zanoxolo Wayile, joined the Municipality’s Expanded Public Works Programme and members of the Education Task Team to distribute school uniforms and stationery to learners in need at the Malabar Primary School on 30 October.

The children who received uniforms, shoes and stationery were Malabar Primary School victims of a bus crash on 26 June this year, children who lost their belongings in a fire in Walmer and orphans from New Brighton who were living in child headed homes.

The majority of the beneficiaries were the survivors of the bus crash, where 71 learners from Malabar Primary School who involved. Luckily, there were no fatalities in the accident, but one learner, 13-year-old Buhle Feni, has been readmitted to Provincial Hospital for more operations as a result of her injuries.

The uniform handover is an extension of the Municipality’s Education Task Team’s uniform collection drive that took place earlier this year. The beggar-in-chief campaign, led by Mayor Wayile, saw many prominent businesspeople, Councillors and municipal officials venture into the city’s shopping malls with begging boards and barefoot to beg for donations of school shoes and uniforms. The Municipality managed to collect a large number of school shoes and uniforms, which will be distributed to learners in need.

Malabar Primary School principal, Crispin Abrahams, said the school felt fortunate to have the Executive Mayor to deliver some words of encouragement to the victims of the bus accident.

Mayor Wayile said that the Municipality acknowledged the challenges facing education in the city.

“Questions were posed about why as a local state the Municipality is preoccupied with education, but we are saying that as a development local government we have an overarching role,” he said.

Mayor Wayile encouraged the victims of the bus accident to keep strong, and not to lose focus.

Mayor Wayile also visited the injured Buhle Feni at the Provincial Hospital, and encouraged her to “stay strong and to recover well.”

Buhle said she felt very special that the Mayor came to see her and offer his support.

Proudly showing off their new school bags, uniforms and stationery donated by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Education Task Team, were Malabar Primary School learners, from left: Phelisa Pawo, Asiphe Dayile, Executive Mayor Cllr Zanoxolo Wayile, Sibabalwe Magadla, Sakhumzi Mbalane and Aviwe Breakfast.

Mayor Wayile paid a special visit to Malabar Primary School learner, Buhle Feni, at the Provincial Hospital. Buhle is one of the learners seriously injured and still in hospital after a bus crash on their way home from school on 26 June this year. Accompanying Mayor Wayile was EPWP employee and Education Task Team member, Madoda Mcwabeni. Pictures: NMBM Communications

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in partnership with Statistics South Africa will conduct a registration drive for backyard shack dwellers across the city from November this year.

At the launch of the backyard shack dwellers registration drive in October at the Babs Madlakane hall in KwaNobuhle, the Executive Mayor, Cllr Zanoxolo Wayile, encouraged residents to exercise cooperation and honesty when approached for information. Mayor Wayile encouraged residents to open their doors to the field workers and to feed them with credible and factual information so that the process can be a worthwhile exercise.

"Our field workers will be given the necessary tools to get the job done, but we will need the participation of the residents to work with them. Give them your assistance so that we can close that gap for corruption and criminal elements in the rollout of this project,” encouraged Mayor Wayile.

A two-day training programme was conducted by Statistics South Africa with community members from various wards who will be conducting the registration. To encourage ownership of the programme and to create jobs the Municipality through the various Ward Councillor’s offices selected five people per ward to be field workers. The training of the field workers equipped them with the necessary know-how of how to conduct a credible and quality data capturing service and the importance of producing factual data. This process is part of the Expanded Public Works Programme to facilitate job creation and skills development for community members within projects in their specific areas.

The registration drive will include a head count of all the backyard shack dwellers in the city, of which the information will be fed into a database for the Municipality’s Human Settlement Directorate to determine the exact amount of people who are still in need of low cost housing.

A pilot phase of the project kicks off in certain wards this year, and next year a full rollout of the project will take place, covering the entire Nelson Mandela Bay region.

Nelson Mandela Bay’s Executive Mayor, Cllr Zanoxolo Wayile, has thrown his support behind the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s investment incentive policy, which recently awarded a R1 million incentive to Discovery Health for creating more than 300 new and sustainable jobs for mostly youth at their service centre based at the Coega Industrial Development Zone Business Park. This business incentive initiative by the Municipality is expected to lure more investors to the city and to stimulate further economic growth and job creation.

On the list of incentives for investors is a discount on municipal taxes and rates, joint financing of feasibility studies and/or business plans, rebates on municipal building plan approval costs for approved investments, and discounts on Municipal land and buildings. All of these incentive initiatives are implemented subject to compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act.

Mayor Wayile said he was pleased with the direction that the TIIP is taking since its inception three years ago.

"We are sending a message to other companies who have not yet responded to our call that we are moving in the direction of forming working and sustainable partnerships with business so we can compete as a globally competitive city,” said Mayor Wayile.

This partnership, according to Mayor Wayile, goes to show how government is working together with business for the benefit of the people of the city.

"As a city we are committed to working with all credible investors who choose Nelson Mandela Bay as an investment destination of choice. We call on other businesses to follow in this direction," he added.

In the Discovery Health service call centre were back from left: Acting Municipal Manager, Themba Hani, Executive Mayor Cllr Zanoxolo Wayile and Discovery Health’s Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba, while Discovery Health employee, Khanya Sogobile, shows them how the centre operates.

Signing on the dotted line to secure the handover of R1 million from the NMBM to Discovery Health as part of an investment incentive policy were from left: Acting Municipal Manager, Themba Hani, Executive Mayor, Cllr Zanoxolo Wayile, and Discovery Health Executive Director for Strategy and Policy, Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba. Pictures: NMBM Communications

The Blackpool Amateur Football Club claimed victory over Shining Stars in a nail-biting men’s final, with the initial score of 2-all leading to kicks from the penalty mark. Blackpool AFC won the game 4 to 3 and walked away with the grand prize of R30 000, with runners-up Shining Stars receiving R20 000.

Blackpool AFC coach, Kevin Assam, said they were ecstatic about their win.

“Our team played beyond themselves, and twice we came from behind to equalize the score. The Mayoral Cup Challenge has been a well-organised tournament, and we enjoyed being a part of it,” said Assam.

The Manchester Babes won the women’s final with 2 goals to 1 from Continental Express. They walked away with R20 000 in prize money, and runners-up Continental Express received R15 000.

Manchester Babes coach, Archie Dyeli, said they came into the tournament with the intention to win, and they achieved their goal.

“Although we did not play our level best in the start of the final, we had the fighting spirit to persevere. The Mayoral Cup has given our female soccer players the chance to showcase their talents,” said Dyeli.

The veterans also showed their skills on the field, with New Brighton Masters beating the Sparks with a score of 2 to 1. They walked away with a cash prize of R15 000, and the runner-ups received R10 000.

The semi-finalists in al the categories also received cash prizes, and each winning team received two soccer balls, with the runners-up receiving one ball. A total of 20 teams participating in the soccer tournament received brand new playing kit.

The Mayoral Cup Challenge was first launched in 2010, and incorporates the sporting codes of soccer, rugby and netball.

Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor, Cllr Zanoxolo Wayile, who presented the winners with their trophy and medals, said it was fantastic to watch the good sportsmanship between both players and their fans.

“We had two teams in the male finals from different backgrounds who were competing against one another, building on racial integration. The Mayoral Cup is an instrument to transform our society and to integrate our communities. In future we hope to introduce services at the Mayoral Cup that are developmental and add to the upliftment of the community,” said Mayor Wayile.

On Saturday, 4 August the Mayoral Cup Challenge rugby finals will take place from 9.30am to 5pm at the Central Sports Grounds in Uitenhage.

Blackpool Amateur Football Club players celebrate after their win over the Shining Stars in the Mayoral Cup Challenge soccer finals held on Saturday, 28 July at the Motherwell NU 2 stadium.

NMB Executive Mayor, Cllr Zanoxolo Wayile, hands over the medals to the Manchester Babes soccer team players after their win over the Continental Express in the Mayoral Cup Challenge female soccer finals at the weekend. Pictures: Lauren Human