Now you can use your R1-million
From March 1, councillors will consult with residents to come up with plans on how to spend the R1-million in their wards.
The City of Ekurhuleni has approved the R1-m per ward as part the Lungile Mtshali Community Development Plan.
In this plan the metro allocates a R1-m to the communities in each of its 101 wards every financial year, to spend on development projects within their areas.
The Lungile Mthsali Community Development Plan is a ward-based development project, providing an opportunity to unemployed communities, to be the drivers of development in their wards, and build an active and responsive citizenry to fast track service delivery.
The following are some of the projects envisaged for implementation:
- Energy efficiency
- Waste management greening and landscaping
- Water and sanitation
- Wetlands rehabilitation
Project facilitator and member of the mayoral committee for finance, Bennet Nikani, advised communities to steer clear of projects that the departments have already initiated when conceptualising projects in their wards.
He added that the strategic focus, when conceptualising projects, should at least include:
- Job creation
- Urban renewal and revitalisation
- Skills development (soft potable)
- Enhancement of community participation
- Closing service delivery gaps
- Community development
- Legacy and sustainability
Each ward will be required to submit a project business plan which must satisfy the following the criteria for selection:
- Background and justification of the project
- Legacy and sustainability
- Objective of the projects
- Expected results of the project
- Project cost
- Job creation
- The project must benefit the majority in the ward.
The project will be facilitated by Nikani, the strategic political overseeing committee, the political steering committee operational task team, the operational task team, six regional project committees, and 101 project ward committees — one for each ward.
Ekurhuleni mayor Mondli Gungubele said the project aims to liberate the capacity of the societies to plan, innovate and participate in developing their wards, while unlocking their energies.
Gungubele expected to see at least 40 per cent of young people participating in the planned projects in each ward, citing that the majority of unemployed people are youth.
He added that no consultants would be used in this project and urged communities to participate in large numbers.
