May 9, 2005
By Ndaba Dlamini
KEEN to have their views heard, thousands of people on Saturday, 7 May packed the Orlando East multi-purpose hall to discuss the proposals of the 2005/06 budget. The meeting was part of the City's efforts to ensure public participation in the decisions taken by local government.
Council speaker and programme director, Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, opens the Orlando meeting
Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, the council speaker and programme director, opened the meeting by urging members of the community to contribute to the overall development of the city and to ensure their views were heard. Executive Mayor Councillor Amos Masondo and members of the mayoral committee attended the meeting.
"The City is committed to the premise of community participation and ensuring the provision of quality services to the people. Today's meeting is part of an ongoing consultation and gives the City the chance to listen to and address the concerns of its communities. Today is the day your voices will be heard," the mayor said.
Masondo said the 2005/06 budget and the City's Integrated Development Plan (IDP) were up for discussion. Numerous such meetings had been held around the City's constituencies, at which councillors had spoken to residents "to get the public's input on the City's developmental priorities".
Residents had raised concerns at previous budget and IDP meetings, which were being addressed by the City. For example, it had managed to improve billing and revenue collection and a lasting solution was being devised.
"The City has set itself a target of tarring all roads in Soweto by December 2005. Operation Gcinamanzi is currently operational and a project to install prepaid meters and ensure that all residents get their six kilolitres of free basic water every month is also under way. We are also ensuring that the city's indigent get their 50 kWh of free basic electricity per month."
Joburg had set priorities for the 2005/06 financial year, including strengthening by-law enforcement, improving housing delivery and implementing projects to improve public transport networks. It also would continue to regenerate the inner city, Masondo said.
Development priorities
Other development priorities are:
- The regeneration of Kliptown;
- The development of the Gautrans precinct;
- The development of Baralink;
- Industrial area upgrades;
- Large scale mixed-use development in Nasrec; and
- The development of the Orlando Ekhaya scheme.
An urgent priority was HIV/Aids, Masondo said. "A three-year project, Jozi Ihlomile, will be implemented to raise HIV/Aids awareness and offer services to people affected by and infected with Aids. Another project, called Buckets of Love, aimed at contributing to community needs, will provide food baskets to poorer members of society. All these projects are part of the Human Development Strategy that is aimed at fighting poverty."
The City's proposed R2,6-billion capital budget will give funding to priority projects. This cash largely will go towards upgrading water and electricity infrastructure; providing housing; and upgrading roads and road signage. Johannesburg also has proposed tariff increases, and rates will go up by 6 percent, electricity by 6,2 percent, water and sanitation by 7,7 percent, refuse by 4,7 percent and minor tariffs by 3,2 percent.
Masondo said he hoped this budget would look at the needs of the people, "like previous budgets".
Once the floor opened to the public for their comments, most residents said they were experiencing electricity cuts, especially during winter, and asked the City to provide solutions to the problem.
Sindwe Ngcala, who lives in Region 10, commended the council for "doing a good job", but he lamented the destruction of infrastructure by unruly youth. He recommended the council set up a toll-free number for residents to report such incidents.
Another community member, Eric Zwane from Jabulani Hostel in Soweto, called for hostels to be upgraded because people were "living like pigs". Patrick Phosa, from Ward 60, said the council should also improve street signage and numbering of properties in the inner city. "With the 2010 World Cup coming up, the image of the city should be enhanced."
A key concern raised by residents was crime. They called for more security personnel near railway stations and taxi passenger drop-off points, especially at night, describing these areas as crime hotspots. "We are being mugged daily. May the mayor please do something about this," lamented one woman.
Housing
People living in informal settlements wanted decent housing and basic services. They also asked for corrupt officials who were giving foreigners Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) housing meant for South Africans, to be removed.
Strike Ralegoma, the mayoral committee member responsible for housing, said the council was formalising informal settlements and eradicating backyard shacks in old townships like Orlando, Meadowlands and Zola.
"The council is currently doing a thorough data collection of all people living in backyard shacks in Orlando and Zola. We are also attending to people who applied for housing during the 1996/97 period. Cleaning up of Jabulani, Merafe and Helen Joseph hostels is also under way."
Masondo said the council would do everything in its power to solve the community's concerns. He appealed to residents to supply the council with the names and addresses of all houses occupied by foreigners to deal with the RDP housing issue effectively.
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