Your power is in the IDP because you call the shots

20-04-2015

 

Many residents probably do not realise that they actually wield more power than the councillors they elect into office every five years.

The Constitution and legislation give ratepayers in the various municipalities across South Africa the right – and power – to demand, through a democratic public participation process at the beginning of every five-year term of council, the delivery of services they require to enhance their quality of life.
 

This, of course, has to take into account current conditions, challenges and the availability of resources.

This process – which involves the holding of a series of public participation meetings covering all the wards within a municipality – culminates in a multi-year strategic vision called the Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
 

The document, which some describe as “the service delivery bible of any municipality”, comes under review every year, giving the residents the opportunity not only to comment on the next financial year’s draft budget but also to keep elected public representatives constantly in check and hold them accountable on programmes and projects they have been mandated to undertake by the people on the ground.
 

That is the immense power that ordinary residents wield.

In essence, the IDP and Budget process gives them the power to take ownership of the strategic direction of their municipalities. In short, they are the ones who call the shots.

Sipho Madi, City of Johannesburg's Director of Group Strategy, Policy Relations and Coordination in Region C, put it succinctly recently when he said “every citizen is a shareholder”.

Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau says by its very nature, the IDP process demonstrates the City’s ability and determination to go back to basics and reconnect with residents.

The process provides ratepayers with the opportunity to express their needs and aspirations, and to voice their anger and frustrations about service delivery failures. It also empowers them to prioritise resources according to the needs of the local community.
 

This means that if this democratic and participatory process could be fully utilised by all residents, there would be no room or justification whatsoever for violent service delivery protests, which often lead to the wanton destruction of public property such as clinics, schools and libraries – facilities meant to contribute to the development of their communities.
 

Over the past few days, Johannesburg residents have been exercising this immense power they have at their disposal at various venues across the city where the IDP, drawn up at the beginning of the current mayoral term in 2011-2012, came under intense scrutiny for the fifth time in what the City terms the “final push” ahead of the 2016 local government elections, when the document will reach the end of its shelf life.
 

Under review has been the progress on strengthening the foundation of basic services provision; elevating and refocusing strategic flagship programmes such as the Corridors of Freedom, Jozi@Work,  Blue Economy, Green Economy and Smart City initiative; improving communications methods linked to development; and reconnecting with the citizenry.

From Diepsloot in the north to Orange Farm in the south, residents have been seen streaming to venues to take part in the IDP and draft Budget review and discussions to take delivery programmes forward.
 

A total of 23 such meetings, also referred to as “community conversations”, were scheduled to be held throughout the City’s seven regions, almost all within a reasonable radius of the residents’ places of abode. With Johannesburg made up of 130 wards, each meeting caters for an average of six wards, making the gatherings manageable for the organisers and easily accessible for the residents.

The 130 wards are clustered together according to geographic proximity and overlapping attributes and developmental needs.
 

Ratepayers who, for one reason or another, cannot attend the IDP meetings, can have their voices heard by making written submissions within the specified period of the process, in this case until Thursday April 23.

“So, no one can say he or she was left out,” says Mapetla, Soweto, resident Paulos Masemola, who has been participating in the IDP process for the past seven years.
 

“This is a peaceful and constructive process to hold elected public representatives and public officials to account.”

Most of the meetings that have been taking place since the process started have been characterised by heated and robust engagement as residents, irrespective of their station in life, faced up to the elected public representatives, giving them their honest opinion and assessment of their performance in office over the past four years.
 

Johannesburg Member of the Mayoral Committee for Corporate and Shared Services Councillor Mally Mokoena summed up the significance of the power residents possess in driving the City’s development and growth agenda when she urged residents at one of the recent meetings: “Tell us when we go astray.”
 

Dan Moletsane, a Region C resident, did exactly that last week when he told elected public representatives at the Roodepoort Athletics Stadium in Ruimsig: “We are tired of empty promises and want action.”

All the inputs – submissions and proposals – made over the past few days will be discussed at a stakeholder summit on Saturday and will, where applicable, be drafted into the final and consolidated 2015-2016 IDP document.
 

Judging by the positive response of residents who thronged the various venues and their enthusiastic and no holds barred participation in the process, the City of Johannesburg’s comprehensive and all-encompassing final IDP document will reflect the needs and aspirations of the people of Johannesburg.

This is democracy at work and at its best. One cannot think of a viable alternative to this.