BURGERSFORT – Residents are up in arms about a new municipal development in Mooifontein. The Greater Tubatse Municipality (GTM) started erecting a recreational park on Stand 89, without consulting the homeowners in the area.
Ms Jacky Boshoff, a resident of Mooifontein, saw municipal workers cleaning an area in the suburb and went to the Maputha Ditshaba building in Church Street, the old municipality building, to ask what was going on.
At the entrance, inside the security wooden house she saw the development plans of the park. It included a live entertainment area. “I was furious about this, I mean how can they plan to build something like this without proper consulting with us?” she said.
Boshoff started to circulate a petition in Mooifontein to inform residents about the project and to demand more information from the municipality about it. This was submitted to the municipality on January 22, but no response was received.
According to residents they received no written or verbal notifications from the municipality regarding the construction of the park. Notices had not been placed on the notice board at the municipality or advertised in local newspapers.
They also failed to place a project development board at the construction site indicating the development of the park. The following terms for national, provincial and local spheres of government in the Constitution states; “Section 151(1) (e) obliges municipality to encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in local government. Section 152 the Objects of local government (are) to encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in the matters of local government. Section 195 (e) in terms of the basic values and principles governing public municipality administration people’s needs should be responded to, and the public should be encouraged to participate in policy making”.
Ms Ina Schaefer, another unhappy resident said she was concerned about the lack of safety procedures that the municipality was following during the construction.
She said there were no notification boards or fences to indicate that construction was taking place.
“If it was not for Boshoff who informed us about the park we would still have been in the dark. My main concern is the noise and parking problems that the park will create once it is finished. I do not think the municipality has properly planned this. There will not be sufficient parking space for visitors. I foresee that they will park on our sidewalks causing havoc on the roads. I live three houses down from the proposed park and I can already imagine the loud music coming from the concerts that will be held there, ” added Mr Corrie Smith, another resident.
“We do not oppose the development of the park, but we just do not want it in Mooifontein,” added Boshoff.
Mr Thabiso Mokoena, GTM spokesman confirmed the constructing of the recreational park on Stand 89. “We consult on an annual basis with communities on their developmental needs as outlined in the Local Government Systems Act, 2000.
“The need for a recreational park was identified by communities in the Tubatse area. Mooifontein forms part of Ward 18 and meetings are convened on a monthly basis by the ward councillor to inform the community about all the developments in the ward.”
He added that the park will consist of benches, playing equipment for children, braai areas and a concert stage. He also confirmed that sufficient parking space will be available.
“I am aware of the petition that was signed and submitted by the residents of Mooifontein. If they have any appeals and complaints they can direct it to the office of Mr Joe Mohlala, municipal manager at GTM,” Mokoena concluded.
