Whose IDP is this anyway, residents ask City officials

07 April 2017

 

Soweto residents questioned City of Johannesburg officials on whether the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) adequately and accurately represented their needs, aspirations and expectations.

 

This was during an IDP public participation session at the Meadowlands Zone 10 Community Hall in Region D on Thursday, April 6.

Resident Sibusiso Phakathi told Regional Director Pat Lephunya that the document presented at the meeting had no bearing on any of the community’s longstanding challenges.

Phakathi, who lives in Meadowlands, said most of the residents in attendance were old, with little education.

He said most of them could barely relate to the presentation as they might find it too sophisticated to decipher.

“There has not even been a proper explanation to the community as to what this IDP is intended for. This will even complicate things further as people might raise issues that the programme may not be intended for,” he said.

“Ward councillors were supposed to consult community members to find out what their needs were,” he said.

Phakathi’s sentiments were shared by other residents, who gave him a rousing applause after he finished speaking.

Other residents complained about promises that had not been kept. The residents, who came from various parts of Soweto, lambasted officials, saying the City had left them to their own devices. They also complained that there was no Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) visibility in certain parts of the region. As a result, many had fallen victim to crime such as housebreaking.

Aubrey Ngcobo, also of Meadowlands, said it was difficult to access some of the public facilities such as community clinics in the area as they appeared to have been taken over by people associated with political parties.

“We have a clinic here in Meadowlands, which has been personalised by members of the ANC. It is controlled by them and it seems it’s meant to serve them only and excludes everyone else,” Ngcobo said.

In his closing remarks, Lephunya said all complaints submitted by community members would be investigated.

“People have contributed to the meeting and have criticised us. They have made their suggestions in order for us to help them,” Lephunya said.

He explained what the IDP was aimed to achieve. “Through this programme, we want to grow the city’s economy by empowering our people,” he said.