Riverside View is set for a busy month of community activities, with President Cyril Ramaphosa allegedly expected to return to the area later this month to assess progress on long-standing service delivery needs.

Ward 96 councillor Rufas Maswazi said the president is scheduled to visit Riverside View on August 23, where he is expected to engage with residents and receive updates on the community’s development.

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“He’s coming here to witness the success of this development. He’s coming here to spend time with the community, who are also concerned about the lack of other things that must be done.”

The visit follows the president’s previous engagement with Riverside View residents on May 30, during which he acknowledged their frustrations over the shortage of essential public facilities, including a school, clinic, and police services, and committed to working with government departments to address the community’s needs.

According to Maswazi, the president’s return will provide an opportunity to assess progress and discuss what still needs to be done.

“The president has said to us that he will come and see what needs to happen and make funds available in order for us to build a school and also a clinic. So, we are waiting for him to come.”

Before the presidential visit, Riverside View residents can look forward to several community events. Women’s Day celebrations will be held on August 9, with MMC Loyiso Masuku expected to spend the day with women from the community, particularly pensioners, people living with disabilities, and vulnerable families.

“We’ve done our data capturing and we know that we are focusing more on the pensioners. We are focusing more on disabled families because some of the beneficiaries who received houses here are people living with disabilities.”

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He added that beneficiaries are expected to receive support in the form of food parcels and blankets during the event.

He added that bringing government services and community programmes directly into Riverside View remains a priority, particularly as the area continues to grow while still lacking several key public facilities. “We want to bring services closer to where the people stay.”

The weekend will also feature a community sports tournament, with soccer and netball matches bringing together local sports enthusiasts.

Maswazi promised to extend an official invitation to the Fourways Review to attend the president’s visit later this month.

Attempts to verify the dates with the African National Congress’ national media team were made on August 6 via WhatsApp and phone calls.

However, there was no response at the time of publication. An update will be provided once the information is received.

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