POLOKWANE – Nkadimeng, launched the Re aga Polokwane programme on Thursday, 26 October at the Peter Mokaba conference centre.
The programme is set to foster improved communication and cooperation between the city and its various constituencies, ensuring that all involved parties can strive towards the common vision of building a smart city by the year, 2030.
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“There are a number of major projects being embarked on in the City of Polokwane. The nature and scale of these projects are of such a manner that they will have a permanent impact on the city, impacting the quality of life for the average resident, stimulating growth and enabling the municipality to improve its efficiency in service delivery and revenue collection among many other benefits. Some of these projects include the replacement of 177 km of AC (asbestos cement) pipes in the municipality’s jurisdiction, a project aimed to replace conventional water and electricity meters with smart meters in a number of areas within the city, the introduction of a rapid bus service, a waste management project as well as a major student accommodation drive to support the growing number of students in the city,” Nkadimeng explained.
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According to Nkadimeng, the rolling out of these project is inclusive of a number of short term inconveniences and challenges which will directly affect the residents. The inconveniences are inclusive of traffic disruptions and the temporary or unscheduled disruption of water and electricity. “This can typically lead to disquiet among the residents, and subsequently, resistance to the projects. The city therefore considers it a priority, to actively engage all the stakeholders. There is a need for residents to view the initiatives that the municipality is undertaking, as part of a bigger programme that will ultimately benefit them. The city understands that the key to getting residents into this frame of mind lies in involving them as much as possible in what is happening with regards to developments in their city,” she explained.
The City of Polokwane will now have a platform through which they will be able to communicate with its citizens on the various projects and campaigns that will also encourage these parties to form part of the collective, in building the city.
“Re aga Polokwane also provides a partnership platform for the city and citizens to work together to ensure the long term development of the city. Individuals and businesses will be encouraged to approach the city and through the Re aga Polokwane programme, work with the city on initiatives and campaigns that have long term benefits for the City of Polokwane and its residents. The city will therefore be driving a programme called Living The Brand within its staff to ensure that the message, spirit and ethos of Re aga Polokwane is not just spoken of by the municipality staff but is actually understood and carried out,” she concluded.
