Jordaan the man to lead Bay forward

MR Mayor, I was born in this city in then so-called servant's quarters in Commercial Road. I spent my youth moving from one suburb to the next, our families uprooted due to the birth of apartheid cities.

I spent time in Schauderville, then moved to Korsten, then moved to Gelvandale, then moved to Helenvale, then moved to our home in Springbok Street and eventually our family settled down in Salt Lake in a house we finally called home.

During all this time we were used to living with a family member.

Today I am still in this city. Never thought of leaving it.

I am proud to say that I have witnessed at least six decades of positive and negative change in our city. Five of those decades stored in my memory feature the realities of our journey to urbanise our townships.

To see you on June 16 travelling through the same suburbs, to see you visit the homes of those who suffered, whether it was through gang violence or a shack that burnt down or a family in Kensington or Holland Park. To see the handing out of title deeds to families who might never have thought that they would one day own their own homes brought tears to my eyes.

The only land we ever dreamt of owning was the land at some graveyard.

To see you address the people of our city irrespective of their race or creed, to see your departments move with rapid response to electrical needs, to installing of services, to experience in my time your office addressing corruption, to see you and your team turning this city around from a deficit economically to a city rated as healthy by the Moody’s institution, to see you address the scourge of crime and gangsterism.

I am still pained by this scourge of gangsterism which had been around since the days of my youth – to bury our children, young men and women is painful.

We know that we cannot foresee all these things happening, but I am convinced they do not go by unnoticed. We as the citizens will do our part. Well done!

Our next giant topic to address is the effectiveness of education in our metro. Let us work hard together in addressing this all-important sector of society.

It is this sector that caused the uprising in Soweto which spread into the cities across the country. You have taken an active role in this arena with the citizens of your metro.

We have not yet arrived, but we will mobilise our energies to accomplish. We will work hard to address the unemployment of our youth.

God will give us ideas and incentives to turn the unemployment of youth from 40% or more to ensuring that every young man and woman has a future in our metro.

I was at your inauguration as the mayor, your 100 days in office address and, a year later, your state of the city address, and my conclusion is simply we have matured to governing our city with a mayor who is the mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay. I have been there with mayors from the time of John Vieira, the historical appointment of first black mayor Nceba Faku, the historical appointment of first woman mayor Nondumiso Mphazi, then mayor Zanoxolo Wayile and recently mayor Oom Ben Fihla.

I trust that the upcoming elections will see you continue as mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay. Our prayers are covering the city, you and your family, and we trust we will have a free and fair election.

Mr Mayor, thank you to you and the team for the work you are doing. Mr Mayor, we were born in this metro and we have the daunting task to address the disparities of yesterday.

Mr Mayor, we were born in this metro for a time such as this! Let us make our time count in favour of the citizens of this metro.

Neville Goldman, Port Elizabeth