Crime, access to water and jobs have been raised as bugbears for communities in KwaZulu-Natal, the District Development Model (DDM) Presidential Imbizo heard on Friday.
Umlazi resident, Sizakele Mpanza, raised concern about the high crime rate in the area, appealing to the President to intervene.
“We are concerned about what is happening. We are living in fear… we can’t even send our children to the shops because we are afraid they will be robbed by these criminals,” Mpanza said.
Mpanza appealed for more police visibility in their community, as well as a satellite police station.
Mziwendoda Sikhakhane from Richards Bay told SAnews that if given a chance to speak to the President, he will ask the President to create more job opportunities, especially for young people.
“Our youth are roaming the streets doing nothing and yet they have qualifications. I am appealing to our government to create more job opportunities,” Sikhakhane said.
Sikhakhane also raised the provision of water as an important factor for communities.
“We are struggling in our community; we don’t have water. We struggle to get water, sometimes we go for days without water,” he said.
Sikhakhane and Mpanza are among the many community members attending the imbizo, which is led by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Umnini Sportsfield in Umgababa.
Cabinet adopted the DDM in August 2019. The DDM is an integrated planning model for cooperative governance, which seeks to be an integrated, district-based, service delivery approach aimed at fast-tracking service delivery. It also seeks to ensure that municipalities are adequately supported and resourced to carry out their mandate.
Friday’s imbizo is the second DDM Presidential Imbizo under the Government of National Unity (GNU). The occasion provides the President, Ministers and KwaZulu-Natal provincial government officials an opportunity to listen to the concerns of communities and respond to them.
Lindiwe Dlamini from Umlazi, a nearby location, raised concern about the slow pace of service delivery.
“We have been waiting for too long. We kept on enquiring from the municipality but we are not getting answers. I am glad the President is here. We hope we are going to get answers today,” Dlamini said.
President Ramaphosa kicked-off the imbizo by visiting the N2 bridge, which partially collapsed earlier this week due to heavy rains.
Upon his arrival, the President was briefed about the damage by Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and the South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) officials, who said the bridge will be fixed and operational by next month.
After being briefed, President Ramaphosa and his entourage proceeded to Umnini Sportsfield, where communities were given a chance to express their concerns.
The DDM Presidential Imbizo is an important public participation platform that ensures the voices and perspectives of communities are heard to advance a participatory democracy.
The imbizo continues . – SAnews.gov.za
