The City of Johannesburg held its first online Community-Based Planning (CBP) session for Region C at the Boskruin Community Centre on Wednesday, 9 October 2024. This was followed by a physical session at the Roodepoort City Hall on Saturday, 12 October 2024. These sessions provided residents an opportunity to engage directly with city officials and discuss service delivery issues and development priorities.
Cllr Vhonani Marema, Chair of Chairpersons of Section 79 Portfolio Committees, chaired the online session and Cllr Dwaine Ponsonby, Chairperson of the Oversight Committee on the Legislature, chaired the physical meeting in at the city hall. Both presented an overview of service delivery across the region, outlining key community challenges.
During the sessions, residents were divided into ward-based groups where specific issues and proposed projects were discussed. These proposals will inform the city’s budget allocation for the 2025/26 financial year. The issues raised were drawn from previous CBP sessions, where residents had identified their priority concerns. This time, participants were asked to either confirm or amend the top three priorities that will be included in the city’s upcoming budget.
Facilitators from the city’s Community Participation Unit, along with support from the Citizen Relationship and Urban Management team, guided the discussions. Residents of Boskruin raised concerns about the need for additional street and traffic lights, particularly on Malibongwe Drive, as well as the installation of traffic-calming measures like speed humps. Other concerns included the need for a taxi rank, improved streetlights in Ward 101, and better monitoring of contractors who “often leave project sites in poor condition”.
Cllr Marema assured attendees that the CBP process was more than just a formality, stressing the city leadership’s commitment to addressing the issues raised. “This session is not just a box-ticking exercise. We will review areas where improvements are needed and take corrective action. When we return for the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) sessions, I hope you will see positive changes.”
At the Roodepoort session, many of the issues were raised by residents of Ward 127 in Matholesville Plot 8. These included the urgent need for sewer reticulation, improved clinic facilities, and better infrastructure. Residents also reiterated previous requests for schools, which have been referred to sector departments due to the intergovernmental nature of the issue. Children in the ward travel long distances to school.
Other concerns included the impact of illegal mining, which has led to infrastructure vandalism, illegal water connections, and significant road damage in informal settlements. In some cases, road collapses due to illegal mining activities have resulted in road closures, further affecting the community.
All submissions from the CBP sessions were recorded by officials from the Legislature and will be incorporated into the 2024/25 IDP process for further feedback. However, there was notable concern among residents regarding the absence of Members of the Mayoral Committee as they were not present to provide direct feedback on these critical issues.
Written by Thembelihle Radebe
14/10/2024
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