Gauteng MEC of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements‚ Paul Mashatile has congratulated the former mayor of the City of Johannesburg‚ Parks Tau‚ for having been elected as the president of the United Cities and Local Governments‚ a world body of municipalities.

Tau‚ a current leader of the opposition in the city and the interim national chairperson of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) was elected by the overwhelming majority‚ beating the mayor of Kazan‚ IIsur Metsin‚ by 103 votes to 42.

“This is a recognition and acceptance of outstanding leadership he has demonstrated in providing defining and illustrative leadership‚” said Mashatile.

He said that Tau has been at the service of the people in local government since the dawn of democracy and has led Johannesburg with impeccable capabilities which had won many accolades.

“His rise in the world stage augurs well for the repositioning of local government as a catalyst in the transformation agenda of world governance‚” he said.

MEC Mashatile said that local government remained a critical pillar in governance that defines the pace and the extent of popular governance and gives residents a critical view on the quality and substance of service delivery.

“The world has accepted that the local government is the centrepiece of any intervention that defines the quality of life of the people of the world.

 Mashatile said that the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG)‚ was both humbled and ecstatic that the effort of placing its version of local governance has been affirmed at a world stage.