23 May 08

By Keotshepile wa Mogotsi and Sipho None

WINTER’S nippy winds that bite deep into the skin, have not stopped a gutsy team of Mogale City councillors and officials from rolling up their sleeves and conducting another round of Integrated Development Plan (IDP) road shows across the city.

The meetings with residents are part of the process by which a municipality prepares its strategic development plan, the IDP. This is the main principal strategic instrument guiding all planning, management, investment, development and implementation decisions of the City, taking into account input from all stakeholders.

At some meetings, the coldness of the venues was melted by the blazing issues raised by residents. However, the road shows went well and some people applauded the municipality for its democratic way of handling issues.

Led by Mogale’s number one citizen, Executive Mayor Koketso Calvin Seerane; the mayoral committee; the municipal manager, Dan Mashitisho; and the executive managers, scores of people attended the various meetings.

Like the saying, “There are more questions than answers”, most residents brought in their notes they made at previous IDP meetings, and focused on what they referred to as “unsatisfactory services”.

The City leaders were wary of unconstructive criticism, but responded to questions contributing to building a better Mogale City. At Muldersdrift, a meeting was held at the multi-purpose community centre; as the hall was being used to house people evicted from their homes, the meeting was somewhat cramped in a smaller venue.

Rural people spat fire and demanded houses. However, Seerane, who is known for his passion for rural areas, reminded them that the City’s rural areas remained the council’s first priority.

Several achievements had already been made in rural areas, the meetings heard. The council had procured 120 toilets; Ethembalethu township had been registered; the Rietvallei Village general plan had been approved; and evictions had been reduced by 40 percent.

An impassioned resident of Muldersdrift, Richard Monyai, grumbled that the budget presented had never worked for them. “Your budget that is always presented to us has never worked for us, the people of Muldersdrift. In other areas people get houses and recreation facilities, and we never get anything.”

IDP meetings were also held at Magaliesburg, Hekpoort, Tarlton and the challenging areas of Munsieville, Greater Kagiso 1 and 2, and Azaadville. In this week of feedback sessions with its communities, a strong wind of questions swept throughout the city and the council raised its giant shield of answers.

In places like Kagiso 1 and 2, Munsieville and Azaadville, the ever-boiling issues of lack of housing, unemployment and service charges were again raised by the majority of residents. The mayor mentioned that the Azaadville-Kagiso Housing Plan would be rolled out soon, and more than 9000 houses would be allocated to needy people.

Abraham Mogwemang, of Tarlton, said: “We have been attending these meetings for the past years and there have been few changes. We are still concerned that there are areas in Tarlton were families do not have access to water and proper sanitation.

“Councillors come to us informing us about certain issues that do not happen and we begin to suspect that these guys are lying to us. The mayor was here last year and we were told that houses will be built in the area, and nothing has happened.”

The mayor and his team of councillors and officials noted all questions asked and promised to deal with the issues that were raised.