March 14, 2005
By Lucky Sindane
DOBSONVILLE residents will no longer have to travel to different offices across Johannesburg to pay municipal bills, register births, or apply for social grants.
Mayoral committee member for community development, roads and
parks, Christine Walters, and MEC for agriculture, conservation and
environment, Khabisi Mosunkutu, cutting a ribbon to open the centre
A one-stop centre housing local, provincial and national government offices was formally opened in Dobsonville, Soweto, on Friday, 11 March.
Hundreds of residents, many elderly, gathered at the multi-purpose community centre to celebrate the opening.
The building was originally a people's centre, but "the City, together with the national government and the Gauteng government, decided to take this precinct further and turn it into a multi purpose community centre," said mayoral committee member for community development, roads and parks, Christine Walters.
"I would like to appeal to the community to make use of the centre and protect it," she added.
Now residents will be able to pay municipal bills at the revenue office; apply for social support at the social development department, the housing department, and the department of labour; or get ID books or register births from the home affairs department's service point.
They will be able to get information from the City's people's centre, speak to their ward councillors who will have offices in the centre, and find out what government has to offer from the communications and information systems centre.
"We have computers with Internet at the centre," said the director of government communication and information services, Nebo Legoabe, urging residents to use the facility "to make sure they know what is happening in the government".
Emergency services will also be available, with a Johannesburg Emergency Management Services station as well as a South African Police Service office based at the centre.
Social services at the centre include a library, the Itireleng clinic, and a community hall.
Various community-based organisations, non-government organisations, parastatals and business services will also operate from the Dobsonville multi purpose community centre.
"It's not everywhere in the world you'll find a one stop centre like this," said Gauteng MEC for agriculture, conservation and environment, Khabisi Mosunkutu, adding that the province planned to set up 40 multi purpose community centres by the end of 2009. So far, since 200, 18 have been established.
"I'm glad we are going to have everything here," said pensioner Nomvula Maleka.
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