By Nangamso Mabindla
12 April 2006

HOUSING delivery, proper electricity supply, good roads and employment were some of the concerns raised by residents of Buffalo City during the Imbizo Focus Week held at the East London City Hall this week.

The imbizo, held to hear citizens' worries, was attended by Executive Mayor Zintle Peter, Eastern Cape MECs, officials and Amathole District Municipality Executive Mayor Sakhumzi Somyo. A national programme, two imbizos are held each year – one in April and one in October. They bring together provincial and local government to listen to the people.

Buffalo officials were also able to talk about the City's successes and challenges regarding service delivery. Speaking about the importance of Imbizo Focus Week, Peter said it was a good exercise.

"They are quick reality checks. They are a means of checking whether we are moving in the right direction, at the right pace and, indeed, whether we are all singing from the same hymn sheet."

The imbizos were also an opportunity to encourage inter-governmental relations. "They address the lack of vertical and horizontal co-ordination and integration between the three spheres of government, and thus afford the community a right to participate in developmental government," Peter added.

Talking about the City's plans to promote economic growth and housing delivery, she said Buffalo was "on top of a systematic attempt to direct our growth and development path towards a brighter future".

In its efforts to ease the housing backlog of 75 000, Buffalo had launched the Postdam Unit P low cost housing project and the Nompulelelo housing project in Beacon Bay.

It was also busy repositioning itself in the new world economy through the City Development Strategy. Other initiatives that aimed to boost the city's economy and decrease the unemployment rate, which is 53 percent, included the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Programme, the East London Industrial Development Zone and the Buffalo City Development Agency.

Gaster Sharpley, the agency's chief executive, said some of these initiatives needed to bring investment into the city. "We need to bring new business to our city to boost our economy. The beachfront is one of the areas where there is huge potential for economic growth."

He said that if the beachfront was developed, it could bring positive economic spin-offs to the city. "We aim to use the beachfront land to invite investors to come and invest in the city. They could build hotels, apartments and restaurants on the Esplanade. This would, in turn, bring much-needed employment to our people."

He called for the economic growth initiatives to work together in their efforts to bring investment to Buffalo City.