Region E residents gathered at the Jabula Recreation Centre in Sandringham on Tuesday, 16 April 2024, to define what their community’s future should look like.
Executive Mayor Cllr Kabelo Gwamanda opened the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) session by mentioning that although the City of Johannesburg is still faced with several challenges including financial constraints, the city’s commitment to providing all its residents with services is unwavering.
Residents of Region E welcomed the proposed budget but still raised concerns about whether change would come. They said many of the structures, and recreational spaces around Region E have been left to deteriorate and need upgrades and maintenance.
They also pointed to the city’s failure to deliver simple services such as cleaning, water restoration, street lighting, and growing poverty that is affecting the area.
A resident from Ward 73 Oupa said that although the presentation was on point, it failed to address the issues that need urgent attention like implementing measures in industrial areas to eliminate crime and uplift the space.
Another resident Sebastian also questioned whether the capex is adequate to meet the demands of backlogs on building requests and rezoning and if the City is aware that if it’s cleared it will increase revenue collected from rates and taxes in the future.
The IDP presentation delivered by the mayor brought attention to Region E’s extensive 2024/25 project list as well as the current state of service delivery analysis. These included burning issues of burst water mains, blocked sewers, and backfilling, illegal connections, increase in potholes, and many others. The presentation provided updates and reassurances that these projects are on the radar of the City.
“This current ‘Peoples Plan’ is here to deliver. We are implementing a budget that ensures every resident benefits from our initiatives and no one is marginalised. We are also implementing a pro-poor budget that focuses on uplifting the disadvantaged and ensuring equitable access to resources,” said Mayor Gwamanda.
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