Participate in development planning residents urged
ALEXANDRA - Alex residents have been urged to participate at public meetings of the city council so that their concerns can be incorporated in the township's development plans.
Alex residents have been urged to participate in city council’s public meetings so that their concerns can be incorporated into the township’s development plans.
This was said recently at Eastbank Hall in Alexandra during a strategic business implementation plan meeting of Region E’s health and environmental health management departments.
Ncumisa Mehana, a city council official, informed residents that council would give preference to their opinions more so than those of the officials when prioritising and budgeting for the development needs of the township. The planning, she said, was an annual process which was also influenced by decisions made by ward committees, as well as residents’ input at various other public meetings.
“The ward committee meetings are held more regularly than the officials’ with you. It is important for you to maximise attendance at both meetings to ensure nothing is excluded from the development planning and prioritisation process,” Mehana said.
She added that residents’ input would also help the departments when lobbying for grants to support additional staff required to improve service delivery; this she said in reference to the need for more qualified nurses at clinics.
Residents’ input would also contribute to the lobbying of grants needed for service delivery improvement and environmental management; increased vector, or disease-carrying pest, control; increased community outreach programmes; improved antenatal care and family planning; immunisation of children; tuberculosis treatment; HIV testing and counselling; substance abuse; food health compliance and waste management.
Mehana also urged residents to help improve service delivery by informing council on any unbecoming conduct of staff.
Peter Magosana of Region E’s Department of Finance said the region had made a multi-million rand investment into the National Health Insurance Scheme through the upgrade and construction of new clinics.
This in reference to the construction of the new Riverpark Clinic and upgrading of the Thoko Mngoma and 4th Avenue clinics which are to have state-of-the-art equipment in order to also attract specialists to help improve the quality of services.
“These developments also have spinoffs to the local economy through the sub-contracting of local companies and employment of local labour,” said Magosana.
He further commended council for sponsoring the Jozi@Work programme which, he said, supported self-reliance and skills development by sponsoring community horticulture projects, the manufacturing of rat cages for vector control and the repair and maintenance of public facilities.
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