The ninth District Development Model (DDM) Presidential Imbizo has kicked off at the Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
The Presidential Imbizo presents an opportunity for South Africans from all corners of the country to voice out the challenges they face from their everyday lives directly to the President and Cabinet, with a view to tackle them head on.
The President has visited all provinces, with the Eastern Cape imbizo expected to be the last in this round.
Opening the programme for the day, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Thembi Nkadimeng said the imbizo is an important platform for citizens to get their concerns heard at the highest level.
“It is an honour that we gather here today as part of culmination of an essential journey of the [DDM] Presidential Imbizo that we started.
“This is the last round, our ninth imbizo. What is important is that we give the citizens the opportunity to talk to the President and that is the main reason why we have come here,” she said.
The Minister added that ministers and the President will respond with a way forward on the challenges raised.
“We are here today as part of the [DDM], the Presidential Imbizo to talk to you about service delivery challenges and opportunities in your areas. The President and the ministers will show some of these opportunities and talk about some of the programmes within the DDM framework to show that we are working together.
“We are doing this in support of [municipalities] because we know that basic services are important such as water, sanitation, healthcare [and] education. When we work together as the spheres of government, we can deliver services and improve turnaround time,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
