Polokwane Municipality launches IDP update process

Polokwane Municipality’s reviewed Integrated Development Plan (IDP) will focus on the upgrading of infrastructure and maintenance of services but will be mindful of the fact that the backlog in infrastructure development exceeds the resources or budget available to deal with all areas of service delivery at once.
This was the message of acting Executive Mayor, William Kganyago when he addressed stakeholders and interested parties gathered at Jack Botes Hall last Thursday to be informed about the municipality’s IDP Status Quo Analysis.

The Analysis Phase is the first of five phases of the IDP process and the Strategies, Projects, Integration and Approval phases will be rolled out during the next seven months.
Speaker of Council, Mariri Ralefatane welcomed delegates to the event and appealed to them to feel free to give input before the IDP is tabled in council for approval before July next year.
Kganyago delivered the opening address and said that the municipality will continue to plan its service delivery programme on the foundation of the constitutional mandate that is based on consultation with all stakeholders as guided by the founding principles of continuous mobilisation of resources in all communities. “However, we have to reach common ground to set priorities that would tackle the most of fundamental needs in the municipality,” Kganyago said.
“Our focus will be on improving our current road network, develop tarred roads to replace gravel, installation and maintenance of street lights to ensure a safer environment, housing and installation of new infrastructure to ensure sustainable electricity and water provision,” the acting Executive Mayor added.
Acting Director Engineering Services Malose Lamola informed the meeting about the Basic Services key performance areas (KPAs) and said that the core functions of the Engineering Services Directorate are to provide basic services such as water and sanitation, energy, roads and storm water to communities by maintaining existing services and providing new infrastructure to households with no services and to co-ordinate the provision of basic services with other sector departments.
Lamola alluded to the fact that the municipality has to deal with a huge backlog in the provision of basic services and although considerable progress has been made, the allocation of the available funds should be well coordinated.

Story/photos: BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com