A series of roadshows where the Endumeni Municipality draft budget for 2017/18 is currently being rolled out, along with the integrated development plan (IDP) and development framework, are assisting in ensuring that residents are given a chance to give input.
The meetings are being held over the next week or so throughout the seven wards. While details of the budget are published on the front page of this issue, at a Ward Four meeting last week, Councillor Hope Xaba and Mayor Richard Mbatha and their officials gave a run-down to residents who gathered in a tent on the corner of Cornhill and Birkett Streets.
Mayor Mbatha told the gathering that it is the Municipality’s mandate to ensure the economy grows to close the gap of unemployment, especially among the youth.

“To help achieve this we have initiated the Endumeni Economic Partnership with external stakeholders. Council will fast-track service delivery that will benefit our town. The role of community participation in the affairs of the municipality has a positive impact on good governance.”
Some of the challenges faced by the municipality include ageing infrastructure and tools and machinery to carry out repairs, theft of electricity, outdated plans to boost economic growth, the need to implement Batho Pele (People First) principles, a non-centralised complaints management system, lack of staff awareness regarding the code of conduct, lack of training of Councillors regarding ethical issues and a growing debtors book.

Interventions have been planned to tackle these issues and hopes are high that these can be achieved.
Some of the comments from residents at the meeting included concerns about the high crime rate in the area, the selling of hard drugs in public, dumping near the Colley Street bridge, lack of street lights on one street and the need for a supermarket in the area. Notes were taken down, and where possible, these concerns will be included in the final budget to tabled before Council within the next month.