Residents took full advantage of a chance to vent their frustration over Buffalo City’s service delivery failures in East London’s packed-out City Hall on Friday.Another municipal public accounts committee (MPAC) meeting has been scheduled for 9am today at Nolizwe Mnyaka Community Hall in Zwelitsha near King William’s Town.
It is expected that BCM executive mayor Alfred Mtsi and council speaker Lulama Simon-Ndzele will be grilled to account for service delivery matters affecting communities and also interrogated about the municipal annual report.
BCM’s DA caucus chair Jan Smit said they had raised concerns as a party about the state of affairs in the metro on Friday. The municipality was represented by housing department officials.
“We raised issues about the housing beneficiary lists in the metro and that there are many houses still empty. Some of the houses have been vandalised.”
Smit said they expected Mtsi and Simon-Ndzele to respond to issues raised by stakeholders during Friday’s meeting.
He said the party would also be raising their concerns at the meeting in Zwelitsha today relating to the poor state of the metro’s roads, uncollected refuse and other crumbling municipal infrastructure.
Attempts to get comment from the African Christian Democratic Party were unsuccessful. Neither COPE nor the PAC was at Friday’s meeting.
Border-Kei Business Chamber head Les Holbrook said the chamber committed itself to the integrated development programme and municipal development goal indicators at Friday’s meeting.
He said the chamber also raised concerns over municipal finances “especially uncollected debt and unspent budgets”.
The business sector wants more emphasis and budget on local economic development.
Other issues raised included:
lInfrastructure – the sector wants projects completed on time and greater spending on priority areas such as water, electricity, sanitation and roads; and
lCommunity services should be beefed up by appointing people to fill vacancies, and there should be better management of resources, equipment and manpower.
Metro spokesman Keith Ngesi confirmed that the last leg of the MPAC meetings would take place in Zwelitsha today.
“This first meeting was in Mdantsane at the Indoor Sports Centre and it was full. People came to listen to how the metro performed during the 2014-15 financial year. The MPAC committee plays an oversight role and they interrogate administration on matters that are left undone and commend them for implementing the mandate (service delivery).
“This is part of the back2basics approach – putting people first,” he said. — msindisif@dispatch.co.za
BCM residents grill officials over delivery
Another municipal public accounts committee (MPAC) meeting has been scheduled for 9am today at Nolizwe Mnyaka Community Hall in Zwelitsha near King William’s Town.
It is expected that BCM executive mayor Alfred Mtsi and council speaker Lulama Simon-Ndzele will be grilled to account for service delivery matters affecting communities and also interrogated about the municipal annual report.
BCM’s DA caucus chair Jan Smit said they had raised concerns as a party about the state of affairs in the metro on Friday. The municipality was represented by housing department officials.
“We raised issues about the housing beneficiary lists in the metro and that there are many houses still empty. Some of the houses have been vandalised.”
Smit said they expected Mtsi and Simon-Ndzele to respond to issues raised by stakeholders during Friday’s meeting.
He said the party would also be raising their concerns at the meeting in Zwelitsha today relating to the poor state of the metro’s roads, uncollected refuse and other crumbling municipal infrastructure.
Attempts to get comment from the African Christian Democratic Party were unsuccessful. Neither COPE nor the PAC was at Friday’s meeting.
Border-Kei Business Chamber head Les Holbrook said the chamber committed itself to the integrated development programme and municipal development goal indicators at Friday’s meeting.
He said the chamber also raised concerns over municipal finances “especially uncollected debt and unspent budgets”.
The business sector wants more emphasis and budget on local economic development.
Other issues raised included:
lInfrastructure – the sector wants projects completed on time and greater spending on priority areas such as water, electricity, sanitation and roads; and
lCommunity services should be beefed up by appointing people to fill vacancies, and there should be better management of resources, equipment and manpower.
Metro spokesman Keith Ngesi confirmed that the last leg of the MPAC meetings would take place in Zwelitsha today.
“This first meeting was in Mdantsane at the Indoor Sports Centre and it was full. People came to listen to how the metro performed during the 2014-15 financial year. The MPAC committee plays an oversight role and they interrogate administration on matters that are left undone and commend them for implementing the mandate (service delivery).
“This is part of the back2basics approach – putting people first,” he said. — msindisif@dispatch.co.za
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