The City of Johannesburg recently convened a significant community-based planning briefing session, where residents from Wards 108, 109, and 116 united to discuss urgent development needs in Alexandra.
This session, at Altrek Hall on October 29, aimed to review the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), a vital five-year framework for addressing the community’s priorities and enhancing service delivery.
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Amongst the pressing issues outlined by the residents were housing, employment, and service delivery improvements.
One of the residents Thabo Mthembu said, “We need change now. Housing is our biggest issue. Families are living in overcrowded conditions. I’m hopeful that, as the City of Johannesburg is here with us today, we can finally see construction and improvement in our community.”
The chair of chairs and Ward 116 councillor Adolph Marema, who has been championing the community-based planning sessions this financial year, emphasised the importance of this feedback mechanism.
“The sessions are vital for us to check what we have deposited in the IDP and ensure that we are on track with our development goals,” he said.
He elaborated on the role of the planning sessions in providing feedback to the community, underscoring how it links to the Municipal Systems Act, which mandates municipalities to enhance service delivery within their capabilities.
Using data from a recent Statistics South Africa survey, Marema highlighted the immediate concerns voiced by the residents of Alexandra.
“According to the survey, housing tops the list of residents’ complaints, followed closely by employment. We must prioritise these issues to bring tangible changes to the community,” Marema said.
During the briefing, Marema acknowledged that while the current priorities might not entirely reflect the community’s wishes, he assured residents. “I am not here just to warm the chairs. I want to turn Alex into a construction site.
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“Next year, we are going to push all our efforts into constructing housing in Alexandra. Addressing housing will have a ripple effect, helping to tackle issues of unemployment and crime as well,” he said.
Marema also noted the critical feedback concerning load reduction and water supply challenges, reaffirming the necessity to address these alongside housing concerns.
“We cannot forget the community’s voice. When we resolve the critical issue of housing, many of these other challenges will also begin to dwindle,” he added.
Ward 105 councillor Tefo Raphadu expressed his gratitude to the residents who came in numbers to attend this important meeting. “This is the process that the city uses to engage with the residents. We are glad to hear what they want and we are hopeful that the city will take their needs forward.
“I’m glad that residents got a chance to engage with the City of Johannesburg in terms of their needs. Because, the needs that they raised last year might not be what they need this year,” Raphadu said.
Raphadu added that the city could not find the budget for some of the needs that were raised last year and some were misaligned.
“We are glad that, at least by the stakeholders from the City of Johannesburg being here to correct some of the issues that were misaligned, the municipality will not repeat those mistakes and do things that people do not want,” Raphadu concluded.
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