Ndlambe Municipality mayor, Khululwa Ncamiso has started her Mayoral Imbizo roadshow that focuses on Integrated Development Plan (IDP) budget for the year 2023/2024 while also highlighting the progress made since last year’s Imbizo.
This follows after the draft reviewed IDP for the 2023/24 financial year was tabled for noting on the March 30 council meeting and is now being used for the public consultations roadshow.
The IDP is the overarching plan that guides development at local government level. The Municipal Systems Act (MSA) requires that community structures are consulted regarding the IDP and the final IDP document has to be approved by the council.
The roadshow is a public participation process that is required by the MSA. This roadshow is a ward-based Imbizo session that encourages public interaction with municipal officials, where service-delivery issues can be discussed and officials answer questions to bring resolution to queries or complaints.
The mayoral imbizo started at Nolukhanyo Hall for ward 5 residents on Monday, April 24 where issues such as the town’s uncleanliness, water shortages, undone roads and inadequate health facilities where brought up by those who attended.
Mayor Ncamiso started the imbizo presentation with highlighting some achievements accomplished in Bathurst and mentioned three learners who were funded by the municipality to further their tertiary studies. “I understand that three learners seem as a drop of water in the ocean but from those needy families that kind support goes a long way. Moreover, transporting learners from Port Alfred to Pretoria is quite expensive when you live from hand to mouth,” she said.
Vocal residents in the imbizo complained about the dirty area and the mayor assured them that the clean-up campaign will resolve that issue. “My clean-up campaign is currently underway. We started in Alexandria ward 1 and we are coming to Bathurst. I understand when there is overgrown trees and grass but when it is residents dumping and throw nappies everywhere I do not understand that. Neatness is something close to the body. You start by cleaning yourself,” she said.
The Director of Community Safety, Nombulelo Booysen-Willy backed the mayor’s statement and revealed that 29 street cleaners were employed in Bathurst by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for the clean-up campaign.
Another major issue raised by the residents at the imbizo was the town having only one health facility serving Bathurst residents and surrounding farms. In response, the mayor together with the Municipal Manager Advocate Rolly Dumezweni said the issue of number of clinics situated in an area was outside the municipality’s jurisdiction but they would take the matter to the relevant departments.
The mayor also acknowledged the ongoing water shortages faced by the Ndlambe residents. “I understand there is water problem and this problem is escalated by the Eskom Loadshedding higher stages. Our equipment is affected by the high stages of loadshedding but we have bought generators as a mitigating mechanism,” she said.
The mayoral imbizo for the IDP budget continued on Tuesday, May 2 for ward 6 at the Seafield Hall in the morning and Titi Jonas Hall in the afternoon. On Wednesday, May 3, the roadshow was at Boesmansriviermond for ward 3 in the morning and moved to Ingubo in the afternoon for ward 7.
On Thursday, May 4 the IDP roadshow continues at Klipfontein Hall for ward 3 in the morning and moves to Marselle Hall in the afternoon. Ward 9’s imbizo will be held at Jauka Hall on Monday afternoon on the 8th of May and the next day Nomzamo School hosts the ward 8 imbizo. Ward 10’s imbizo will be held at the Civic Centre Town Hall on Wednesday, May 10 afternoon and the last roadshow for ward 1 will be at Nonkqubela Hall on Thursday, May 11.
