adminCape Town — Former Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau received a hero’s welcome at OR Tambo International Airport when he returned from Colombia on Saturday.
The Johannesburg ANC regional chairperson has been elected as president of the United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) for the next three years.
UCLG, which is the municipal equivalent of the United Nations, is the umbrella body for local government around the world and is made up of more than 1 000 cities.
He returned home yesterday, with dozens of ANC supporters welcoming him. Briefing the media following the welcoming ceremony, Tau said he was humbled by the support and greatly appreciated it. “It is a tremendous honour and welcome responsibility to have been elected as the new president of UCLG for the next three years,” he said.
They had collective responsibility to preserve, protect and promote the institutional integrity of the organisation, Tau said. His agenda for the UCLG included putting local government at the centre of a “changing world”.
“I am confident that, with the support from here at home in South Africa, across the African continent and other global regions, UCLG will become the gatekeeper of our people’s quest for solidarity, justice, respect for human rights and dignity for all,” he said. — News24
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