“As a city we believe that we must report back to communities,” explained mayoral spokesman Zweli Dlamini, appealing to communities to come out in numbers to the public meetings.
“We believe that interaction with communities directly is the best way to find out their views on government, what their service delivery frustrations are, but also just to ensure that they participate in general governance of their region.”
Dlamini said that, after it became evident that a lack of information was one of the main reasons identified for service delivery protests, the city had prioritised the imbizo programme to improve interaction between government and the people.
“We have resolved that such a meeting must take place every six months of each financial year, so that people get regular updates on the activities of the municipality,” he explained.
“What makes this particular programme even more special and extremely important is the fact that it is the last one before the next national and provincial elections.
“It is also the last before the country’s 20th anniversary as a democracy.”
Members of the public can expect to get a report on the city’s successes since 1994, the past five years and of course the present status quo in terms of development, unemployment and service delivery in general.
A total of 10 imbizo (gatherings) will take place next week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, with five each day.
On Tuesday, February 25, the meetings will take place at Stompie Skosana Hall in Etwatwa; Leondale Hall; Jiyane High School in Tembisa; KwaThema Hall and Vosloorus Hall.
On February 26, the programme moves to the McKenzie Park Hall in Benoni; Zonkizizwe Sports Ground; Thokoza Auditorium; Rabasotho Hall in Tembisa; and Faranani in Tsakane.
All the gatherings will start at 5pm and various members of the mayoral committee have been deployed to address each meeting.
