Despite the resurgence of service delivery protests engulfing the province and the country at large, the Gauteng Department of Local Government and Housing will continue to speed up service delivery to affected communities in line with the 2006 local government elections manifesto and the 2009 election manifesto.
Gauteng Local Government and Housing MEC Kgaugelo Lekgoro told the Gauteng Legislature that he believes Gauteng citizens deserve more and his department will do more to improve the lives of the people.
To accelerate service delivery, the department has identified suitable land for mixed income groups, mixed use and alternative tenure options. The department will also be focusing on the further upgrading of prioritised townships, development of a sustainable and alternative energy strategy, launching the Breaking New Ground flagship projects such as Lufhereng formerly Doornkop, located close to Protea township in Soweto.
Another project due to be launched is Enxiweni housing development, in Tembisa. The department is also reviewing the masterplan for the development of Tembisa to ensure that this township is able to meet both social and economic needs of all its inhabitants.
Another initiative that will see the department at the centre of championing the cause of the marginalised and the poor is the plan that will lead towards the reconstruction of Winterveld in the Tshwane area.
Furthermore, through our Community Development Workers (CDWs), the department will improve interaction with communities through door to door campaigns where service delivery feedback will be provided to households.
“We are going to embark on campaign on the renewal of ward committees and to ensure that there is a framework for monitoring compliance. We are also going to review the reporting and accountability lines of CDWs to ensure that they execute their task effectively,” said Lekgoro.
“It is important to have an improved relationship between CDWs, municipalities and the province in order to open up the information pipeline especially in areas where there has been blockages. This in order to allow free flow of information from communities and the leadership must also assist us to respond early, in cases where there are challenges. Space for radicalisation and destruction must be limited,” MEC Lekgoro added.
The draft bill on exclusionary housing policy will also be ready in November this year. The bill will be critical in ensuring that integration of communities is enforced within the high income residential market.
For more information contact:
Fred Mokoko
Cell: 082 447 8404
Tel: 011 355 401
Issued by: Department of Local Government and Housing, Gauteng Provincial Government
7 August 2009
Source: Department of Local Government and Housing, Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.housing.gpg.gov.za/)
