President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Saturday lead government’s engagement with communities during a District Development Model Presidential Imbizo at the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in the Free State.
The visit to the Free State will be the second post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Presidential Imbizo where engagement with citizens is themed on the President’s SONA call to action,” Leave No One Behind”.
The President will be joined by Premier of Free State Province, Sisi Ntombela, a delegation of Ministers, members of the provincial executive council, and the Mayor of Mangaung.
Cabinet this week approved an intervention by the national executive in the governance of the Mangaung Metro, in terms of Section 139(7) of the Constitution.
Following failure by the Free State provincial executive to implement a financial recovery plan in the metro, the municipality has now been placed under national intervention.
In a statement on Friday, The Presidency said that this intervention is directed at helping the metro to improve its finances and to deliver on its mandate, and to return to sound governance and a better life for residents, the business community and other stakeholders.
“The Presidential Imbizo will assist to highlight challenges and unblock any blockages to service delivery in line with the District Development Model (DDM).
“President Ramaphosa will interact with communities on their experience of daily life in the province, service delivery challenges and initiatives and solutions by communities to improve socio-economic conditions,” the Presidency said.
Cabinet adopted the DDM in August 2019. It is an integrated planning model for cooperative governance which seeks to be a new 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.
The model was approved by government structures, including Cabinet, to integrate service delivery that will be more practical, achievable, implementable, measurable and clearly aligned to the key priorities of the government.
The model seeks to change the face of rural and urban landscapes by ensuring complementarity between urban and rural development, with a deliberate emphasis on local economic development.
The model, which has helped the country to restart and rebuild the local municipal economy, is key to service delivery in the Free State.
Saturday’s imbizo is aimed at giving impetus to the President’s stated commitment that no one will be left behind as government works with all sectors of society to move the country forward.
Ahead of the imbizo, the President will visit the Vereeniging Interchange, following the extension of Vereeniging Ave and the construction of a bridge over the railway line.
This infrastructure project was initiated for spatial integration and to alleviate traffic congestion.
The President will proceed to the Motheo TVET Artisans College, which is one of the four public Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges in the Free State. It comprises six campuses, including a Centre for Entrepreneurship, Rapid Incubator and an artisan academy.
He will then engage communities at the Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein.
The he visit to the Free State is the second Presidential Imbizo after President Ramaphosa visited Mahikeng in March. – SAnews.gov.za
