Electricity, housing tops Duncan Village needs
By Nangamso Mabindla
11 October 2007
THE municipality has resolved some of the concerns raised by Duncan Village residents a year ago.
This is according to Buffalo City Executive Mayor Zintle Peter, who was reporting back to people during her annual imbizo programme. The meetings are used to communicate the progress the municipality has made in improving the lives of its residents in the year since the last imbizo.
Residents are also able to voice fresh or lingering woes.
People from Wards 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 packed Gompo Hall on Wednesday, 10 October to hear the report-back, and to give their input on what still needed to be done to improve their lives. These wards are made up of Gompo, Duncan Village, Pefferville and Braelyn Extension.
Last year electricity, housing, unemployment, the poor condition of streets, streetlights and recreational grounds were raised. In her report at yesterday's imbizo, Peter said that the municipality had managed to resolve some of these concerns.
"We spent R2-million upgrading toilets in Duncan Village this past financial year and we are aiming to build 48 more toilets this year."
Electricity was connected at houses in Dunga, Mahlangeni, Gwijana and Toppa streets. Power was a hot issue in Duncan Village and Peter said the City was building a sub-station, to be completed in the middle of 2008, that would help to improve the electricity supply to houses and shacks.
Buffalo City will be focusing on improving the quality of roads throughout the city
The City also spent R500 000 fixing clinics in areas like Duncan Village. On the employment front, Peter said that the City would send120 people to its 45 wards to collect information on people who needed jobs. These people would be for temporary employment through the Expanded Public Works Programme.
Speaking about the need for more recreational grounds, Peter said a business plan had been drawn up and planning was in process.
On housing, she said that the provincial department of housing, local government and traditional affairs had committed funding for the 2007/08 financial year for the C-Section People's Housing Projects.
The City would also spend R30-million in this financial year on improving service delivery. One of its main focuses would be boosting the participation of female-owned businesses in developmental local government.
"I would like the municipality to spend R5-million towards [businesses owned by women] and a further R3-million to businesses owned by our youth," Peter said.
Despite this progress, residents again spoke about the need for electricity, housing and more toilets.
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