Residents of Eden Park are being called on to make their voices heard at an important Early Childhood Development (ECD) public participation meeting scheduled for January 27 (Tuesday), at the Eden Park Community Hall.

The meeting, which will run from 10:00 to 12:00, is being organised by the City of Ekurhuleni’s (CoE) Community Services Department, Social Development Division, and focuses on the unused ECD building in Abraham Street, Eden Park.

The facility has reportedly been standing vacant for several years, sparking concern among local residents and leadership.

Ward 57 Ald Dino Peterson has urged the community to attend in large numbers, stressing the importance of public pressure to ensure the building is repurposed for community benefit.

“This meeting is open to the public. We must put pressure on the municipality so that the ECD building can be used to the benefit of our community,” Peterson said in a public notice.

“It has been standing vacant for a very long.”

According to the official agenda, the meeting will be chaired by Sandra Somnath, manager of the social development division for the Southern Region. Peterson will officially open the meeting, followed by introductions of officials to the public.

The purpose of the meeting is to present, and a presentation will be led by Sello Maleka, acting manager for women and children programmes.

Community members will then have an opportunity to raise questions during a question-and-answer session, followed by discussions on the way forward.