Metro encourages KwaThema community with IDP
The metro invited the community of KwaThema to discuss the proposed budget for the capital project list.
KwaThema – The Integrated Development Plan (IDP) public participation meeting is one of the metro’s efforts in encouraging the community to be involved in decision making.
Councillor Johannes Sibeko says people need to understand how the city’s money is being spent and why.
“The metro needs to justify to us why they spend the way they do.
“We know that roads and stormwater are one of the major issues in KwaThema.”
He says many times residents blame them, as councillors, ignorant of the facts that surround who is spending the money and how it is spent.
“Everything you demand, we still have to go back and ask from the metro.”
Councillor Masele Madihlaba, MMC for City Planning, delivered the metro’s address.
“The greatest issue in Ekurhuleni is that our people do not pay rates and taxes, leaving us with very little to work with.”
He says Ekurhuleni owes about R4-billion in rates and taxes.
“To date, only 56 per cent of households in KwaThema pay what is due.
“KwaThema alone owes the city almost R5-million,” he adds.
Madihlaba explains that the IDP only uses the money paid to better people’s lives.
“We give you services, then when you pay we redistribute the money.”
He also encouraged those who can not afford to pay rates to apply for being indigent at their customer care centres.
Also read: RDP confusion angers residents
Among the areas of intervention by the metro, he emphasised the electrification of all informal settlements, construction of 100 000 RDP units and the provision of 59 000 service stands.
“We want to cater for people who may be able to build their own houses by providing them with service stands.”
Madihlala also ensures the community that the Ekurhuleni University will soon become a reality.
“We are working on it.
“It is not yet final where it will be located, but very soon we will have something concrete.”
Also read: Mayor wants a university in Ekurhuleni
He says that the metro is investing in 24-hour clinics and social cohesion programmes such as the Mayoral Easter Games and OR Tambo Games, among others.
By the end of 2018, the metro intends to lay an extra 38km of roads.
This includes rehabilitation and maintenance of 3km of existing roads.
“We will establish three early childhood development centres and nine health care clinics, with 30 new ambulances.”
The Mayoral Bursary has funded a total of 1 757 students from Ekurhuleni, coming to a total of R100-m.
He says the metro will ensure that there are no tariff increases for library and information services, library auditorium, cemetery and crematorium, arts, culture and heritage facilities and sport and recreation.
There will be increases in sanitation (9%), water (12.96%), property rates (10%) and building plans (5%).
“Please seek approval to build before you do anything.
“I have seen houses built over sewer and water pipes, and that is very dangerous,” he adds.
“The metro will soon provide legal service to the indigent, widows, senior citizens and child-headed households to obtain letters of authority.”
The final budget will be released in May.
Among the responses from the members of the public, Lindi Lasindwa, member of the legislature, questioned the metro’s intention with job creation.
“There is an emergency services learnership that the metro discontinued.
“I know for a fact that all of the participants from that programme are now unemployed, what will be done about that?”
Councillor Sibeko also raised concerns of the KwaThema Police Station.
“That place is falling apart, you cannot refurbish it.
“We need to demolish and build anew, nothing substandard.”
The MMC encouraged the community to forward any questions and comments about the budget to buggettips@ekurhuleni.gov.za before April 23.
Follow us on our social media platforms:
