Residents from across Region B recently filled the Ferndale Recreation Centre for a very important event that promised to be much more than just a standard community meeting.

Residents from wards 68, 69, 82, 98, and 102 came together for a ‘Citizen Information Clinic’ hosted by the office of the Ombudsman. For many, this was a rare and welcome opportunity to bypass the usual frustrations of city life.

Read more: City Ombudsman hosts community outreach in Randburg

Instead of sending emails that seem to disappear or waiting on hold for hours, the community finally had a direct line to speak face-to-face with the officials responsible for running their area.

The session began with a quiet prayer, setting a respectful tone before Bea Campbell-Cloete, the stand-in councillor for Ward 102, addressed the crowd. She insisted that the clinic be practical, urging residents to seize this opportunity to find real solutions.

The Ombudsman, Sdu Gumede, took the stage to explain exactly how his office operates as a safety net. He detailed how they investigate complaints where residents feel ignored or treated unfairly, acting as an independent judge to ensure the city makes things right when the standard processes break down.

Also read: Ombudsman hosts informative session for Cosmo City

The event was also a who’s who of support services, with several organisations giving presentations on how they can help.

The Public Protector’s office was there to explain their role in guarding against government unfairness, while teams from the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Community-Based Planning (CBP) showed residents how they can have a say in future projects for their own streets.

It was all about showing people that there are many different doors to knock on when they need support.
Addressing one of the most common headaches, Tshepano Maloka from Region B’s revenue department, highlighted a new partnership to tackle money matters.

He announced that they have teamed up with the Ombudsman to actively address billing enquiries every Wednesday. He told the residents that they fully understand the frustrations people feel and are committed to delivering real answers.

Sello Lemao, the regional director, closed by admitting that ageing roads and power networks are big concerns, but promised that new pilot programmes with the police would help make the area safer.

The residents were also allowed to engage with all the different entities that were present with a lively question-and-answer session, giving everyone a voice.

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