Region G residents tell IDP session: We want Rea Vaya

03 April 2016

 

Residents of the City of Johannesburg's Region G at the weekend called on the municipality to introduce the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to ease public transport challenges in the area, provide sporting and recreational facilities, build houses for everyone and deal effectively with drug abuse.

 

The calls were made at the Ennerdale Civic Centre on Saturday April 2 at the start of a series of Integrated Development Plan (IDP) community engagement sessions to afford residents the opportunity to share their ideas on projects and programmes that will improve the quality of their lives.

Region G consists of areas such as Lenasia, Eldorado Park, parts of Naturena, Zakariyya Park, Thembelihle, Vlakfontein, Finetown, Ennerdale, Drieziek, Fleurhof, Orange Farm and Poortjie.

A total of 24 IDP community engagement sessions will be held throughout the City over the next three weeks. The next meeting will be held at the Jabula Recreation Centre in Sandringham, Region E, on Monday April 11.

The IDP meetings, held under the theme: "Delivering the Promised Future by Putting People at the Centre of Development", will culminate in a stakeholder summit on Saturday April 23 at a venue still be announced.

Saturday's Ennerdale meeting was robust and highly-charged, with residents strongly expressing their views on a number of burning issues.

The meeting was addressed by Member of the Mayoral Committee for Corporate and Shared Services Councillor Mally Mokoena and Regional Director Mickey Padiachee.

The IDP document is a multi-year plan containing the City's strategies and implementation agenda required to achieve its vision.

Councillor Willie van der Schyff, the meeting's programme director and Chairperson of the City's Economic Development Portfolio Committee, told residents the aim of the session was to engage the community. He urged them to engage the City in a constructive way.

In her presentation, MMC Mokoena highlighted several achievements the City made over the past five years. The highlights included:

Achieving an unqualified audit;

 Achieving a R3.9-billion surplus in the 2014-2015 financial year;

 A 38% capital spending increase – from R7.1-billion in 2013-2014 to R10.1-billion in 2014-2015;

 Achieving a 94% spending of its record R10.1-billion approved capital budget in 2014-2015;

 Cash equivalent at year-end amounted to R4.9-billion, excluding the R3.7ibillion reserved for future debt redemption;

 Revenue collection rate reached 92% as the City maintained healthy levels of liquidity;

 Raising R3.3-billion in long-term loans to fund infrastructure investments; and

 9.5%.reduction in common crimes.

"Crime is still high but it can only be reduced when we work together. If you refrain from buying stolen goods crime be easily reduced. Don't buy stolen goods because that promotes crime and drug abuse," she said.

Bishop Godfrey Duarte of Morningstar Outreach said there had been no housing development in Ennerdale for the past 25 years and called for the introduction of Rea Vaya.

"There's nothing smart in this region," he said.

Thembinkosi Tshabalala said the City needed to act decisively to curb drug abuse among the youth in Kanana. He said there were no rehabilitation programmes for former prisoners like him.

Nazreen Farred of Lenasia South said she had been waiting for a house since 2009. "But because I'm not black enough I'm not given priority," Farred said.

Makhele Mabaso of the Restoration Ministry in Lenasia pleaded with the City to support churches in their fight against drug abuse.

Thabo Mofokeng of Vlakfontein said there was a need for a multipurpose centre to help reduce crime and drug abuse.