Ward 92 councillor Charmaine Ngoepe hopes that the recently held community-based planning (CBP) meeting will yield a positive outcome.
CBP sessions play an important role in local government as they ensure that residents are actively involved in their own development. They also assist communities to have an opportunity to plan for their own areas. Each councillor had the opportunity to raise three issues during the meeting.
Ngoepe said she hopes the issues of a mobile police station and crime statistics would get the attention they needed.
She said the meeting, held on October 15 at the Midrand Fire Station, went very well. “Although I am still waiting for everything that was said to become reality, I normally don’t share theories with the community up until I see progress,” said Ngoepe.
She said that a mobile police station would be helpful in the ward, as crime is high. She also hopes for facilities for drug rehabilitation and for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) community, as well as a mobile home affairs office.
She said she is still waiting for feedback on their three main objectives.
Ngoepe said Eskom (load-shedding), non-functioning streetlights, land and overcrowding of schools due to an influx of people remain an issue in the ward.
Ward 110 councillor Angie Mphaho said the meeting was successful as it raised awareness in their communities. She said, “The main issues that we managed to raise, as we were only allowed to raise three concerns [each], were paving of sidewalks in Rabie Ridge, roads and stormwater drainage, and a community centre, that includes pay points.”
CBPs help the municipality to understand their issues and service delivery backlogs, be responsive and plan accordingly. It also builds partnerships between the community and City.
The sessions are a forerunner to the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) process as they produce plans for wards which will be incorporated into the IDP.
The CBP session we held for the following wards:
- Ward 80 (which includes Rabie Ridge)
- Ward 92 (which includes Kaalfontein)
- Ward 110 (which includes Midrand)
- Ward 111 (which includes Ebony Park and parts of Ivory Park).
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