Residents of the Sedibeng District Municipality have highlighted housing, sewerage, poor service delivery and unemployment as some of the key areas that government should urgently address to improve their lives.
The residents were expressing their views at the District Development Model Presidential Imbizo led by President Ramaphosa at the Sharpeville Cricket Grounds in Gauteng, on Friday.
Responding to questions and challenges raised by the residents, President Ramaphosa said although the district and the country as a whole faces challenges, government is determined to resolve these.
“As a country we have many challenges but…much as we all have challenges, these challenges are being addressed….one by one. The one challenge that really stood out…was the sewerage that was just flowing into the Vaal river. I’m glad to hear that…this challenge of sewerage, of sanitation is being addressed on an ongoing basis and Minister [of Water Senzo] Mchunu…is addressing this,” he said.
Turning to the high unemployment rate in the district – which stands at some 64% - the President told the gathering that the Vaal Special Economic Zone is pivotal to the revitalisation of industry and consequently more employment of people in Sedibeng.
“By far unemployment is the biggest challenge. The Gauteng government has ambitious plans to revitalise Sedibeng by developing agriculture, by developing logistics, tourism and industries as well. These plans are pivoted around the Vaal SEZ which we have heard has the potential of creating up to 170 000 jobs over the next few years.
“That is a serious number of jobs that will be created right here in Sedibeng,” he said.
On housing, President Ramaphosa said the Human Settlements Department – which has some seven mega projects in the area – will look into complaints heard from people living in hostels.
“I believe that from housing, the Minister [of Human Settlements Mamoloko] Kubayi has conceded that over many years, we have not paid attention to our hostels. Many of our people still live in hostels and we have basically neglected them. I’d like to see us go to those hostels and revamp them and even go to those apartments where there is water and sewerage and revamp them,” he said.
The President was firm with his assessment of service delivery not only in the Sedibeng District but in local municipalities throughout the country.
“Our municipalities must pay attention to what needs to be done so that our people live with dignity. We want to see an improvement in the lives of our people from a service delivery point of view from now on. We cannot, in this place which used to be the industrial hub of the country, allow our people to live in squalor; in a dirty place,” President Ramaphosa said.
The President assured the community that their issues will not be put on the back burner at the end of the launch and said the DDM approach assures that these challenges are properly addressed.
“[The DDM] is a break with the past that we have had and here at local level, at district level, it is aimed at making sure that our communities who have felt neglected in the past are part of the whole process of resolving the challenges as they are properly and fully consulted.
“Ministers…keep going back to those areas where there are issues they have to address. This goes to show that we treat these types of engagements with you in this type of Imbizo very seriously and we want to be able to follow up on the issues that you have raised,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za
