Councillor pressures city for infrastructure funds
" R2.4 million that our community could benefit from will be sent back to treasury or spent in another ward."
WARD 31 residents are encouraged to join councillor, Chris Pappas, in putting pressure on the eThekwini Municipality to ensure funds for infrastructure projects in the ward are allocated.
According to Pappas, every financial year each ward councillor is allocated around R2.4 million to utilise on infrastructure projects in their ward.
This fund allocation is called the Community Infrastructure Projects (CIP) and is managed by the Supply Chain Management (SCM) Department.
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He said the fund allows the councillor to assist departments with funding where the department has not got sufficient budget or where items were not budgeted for.
These can include things like street signs, roads resurfacing, outdoor gyms, speed bumps, park equipment and fences.
“For many years DA ward councillors have not had any of their projects implemented in their wards. This financial year is set to be no different. This means that R2.4 million that our community could benefit from will be sent back to treasury or spent in another ward,” he said.
Pappas said despite submitting the list of projects by the February deadline there had been no feedback or progress with any of the projects that he had requested, except for speed bumps.
“Despite meeting after meeting and countless emails to the relevant people at SCM, I have made little progress. It is not through lack of trying that I am not optimistic about the implementation of any of these projects. The infuriating part is that these funds come from the ratepayers and they deserve to have it spent in our ward,” he said.
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Some of the projects that he had requested include an outdoor gym in Berea Park, new park equipment for a number of parks including Shoult Road, Butcher Road, East Street, Clayton Road and Oakleigh Drive, landscaping for Brickfield Road, speed bumps in Everton Road, Oakleigh Drive, Dunnotar Avenue and Barns Road, dustbins for the parks, a fence for the park on Oakleigh Drive, resurfacing of Randles Road and new sidewalks on West Road.
“I hope that the dedicated officials in the SCM Department can overcome any political pressure and ensure the fair and just implementation of the projects in ward 31,” said Pappas.
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With less than two months before these funds must be spent, Pappas said he was turning to the community to put pressure on the municipality to ensure that the projects are implemented. Concerned residents can email sizakala@durban.gov.za and cc the ward councillor: ward31@ethekwini.org and gran.dichabe@durban.gov.za.
“Once the July implementation deadline has passed I will begin the next round of consultations with the community for the 2017/2018 financial year,” said Pappas.
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