By Nangamso Mabindla
12 December 2006

FRONT loaders are already at work for the construction of the R6-million Buffalo City customer service centres (CSCs) in Duncan Village, Mdantsane and King William's Town.

These centres, funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), will help the City to improve service delivery and interaction with its customers. They will be meeting places for the communities and take government closer to the people.

Speaking to Duncan Village councillors on Monday, 11 December about the R3-million centre to be built in that area, the City's communications manager, Darby Gounden, said that the centre would house the municipal services needed in the area.

"Currently people from Duncan Village have to travel to East London to get services; with this centre we aim to make municipal services available to them."

She said the centre would have municipal pay points; account enquiry desks; an automated teller machine or ATM; and offices for the youth, disabled people and those with HIV and Aids. "These are the things that will form part of our phase one. This [centre] here at Gompo Hall is where people will come [to receive their] social pension grants. They will be able to use the ATM for money-related transactions and pay their municipal services," Gounden said.

Talking about phase two of the Duncan Village CSC, Gounden said stalls would be set up for local hawkers to use to sell their products and a park would be built for youngsters to play.

"Other additions will be welcomed as we continue with different phases for this centre and the other centres in Mdantsane and King William's Town. Our target for the completion of these centres before the Sida funding ends is June 2007, so we are running against time."

Duncan Village ward councillors approved the project, saying it was good for the people of the area. One of them, Clara Yekiso, said they would like to be kept informed during every development stage of the construction.

"We … want the City to communicate with us about any other developments in the centre. Also, we would like to see local people used during the construction; we want our people to benefit from this project," she said.