‘Disruptive’ Region A residents missed the opportunity to ask availability of funds to fix infrastructure – Speaker
Council speaker Nobuhle Mthembu admits there is a lot of work that needs to be done in Region A.
City council speaker Nobuhle Mthembu said she was unhappy with the disruptive nature of attendees at Region A’s Integrated Development Planning (IDP) session.
The meeting was held at the Midrand Fire Station on April 15, attended by Executive Mayor Sello Dada Morero and various MEC’s.
During the session, two residents from each ward were given two minutes to raise their concerns.
“Look, apart from the noise, Region A is a bit disruptive… And when we create such a platform, it’s for them to engage. But the way they behaved, out of all the regions, they were very disruptive. We hadn’t even adjourned the meeting, and they stood up to leave.
“That is disrespect. After everything has been tabled with the comments, we understand people are frustrated. That’s why we gave them that opportunity.”
Speaking to the publication after the session, Mthembu said the residents raised issues about informal settlements, electricity and roads.
“I like the fact that MMC of Public Safety [Mgcini Tshwaku] said he will go there [crime-ridden areas and informal settlements]. So, we must follow up on that. Number two, I think residents should have been told about funding. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done here. But is there a budget?
Read more: CoJ mayor promises service-delivery improvement in Region A
Mthembu was asked about the mushrooming of informal settlements, which put a strain on the city’s resources.
“To be honest, we need to fix our infrastructure. Our infrastructure has collapsed, and it has not been maintained for a long time. We have issues with water and electricity. So we must also ask the right question. What is the priority? Is it to maintain the infrastructure or [put resources] into informal settlements?”
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