Cope calls on city residents to participate in local government

COPE councillors in the Sol Plaatje Municipality have raised concerns about a “lack of community participation” in local government, problems with houses in Ward 17 (Kagisho) and what it called “serious service delivery backlogs”.

Rosie Ludick, Cope councillor, said yesterday that community members must feel free to engage in formal local government processes and must be encouraged to attend council meetings.

She also said that local government, which is “in crisis”, needs community participation in order to hold the municipality to account.

“Everyone has the right under the Constitution to a local government that works, which provides basic services and which promotes social and economic development. We (Cope) will do anything in our power to ensure that the people’s right under the Constitution to a democratic and ac- countable local government will be adhered to.

“At the moment, local government is in crisis and is failing to deliver the services our communities have a right to receive. We are aware that residents are angry and tired of politicians failing to deliver on their promises.

“We are not in the Sol Plaatje Municipality to agree on wrong mandates given by the ANC political heads. We will continue to protect the resources of our communities,” Ludick said.

“Cope is aware of major problems in the municipality, like huge service delivery backlog challenges, particularly in housing, water, sanitation and health as well as the current poor state of the infrastructure.

“For instance, the houses in Kagisho (Ward 17) are about to fall down on residents. We are going to continue forwarding the demands of our people to the Municipal Manager and the relevant committee dealing with that particular problem.

“We also take note of shacks that go up like mushrooms during election time and afterwards these same communities are stranded without basic services, such as water, electricity and sanitation.

“People must have a bigger say and they must feel free to engage by participating in the formal processes. We noticed that community participation is lacking in this municipality.”

Ludick added that people must also not feel threatened, but must exercise their rights by going public through complaints, petitions, protest actions, the media and courts. They must hold local government accountable, ensure that their ward councillors deliver, get involved and stay involved and attend council meetings.

“The current water crisis in our city is leaving our people without water for long periods and also contributed to the loss of business. We are holding the Municipal Manager accountable. It cannot carry on like this. He must come up with solutions to this crisis,” Ludick said.