Latest news with #IntegratedDevelopmentPlan
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
City of Tshwane introduces WhatsApp channels for improved service delivery updates
The City of Tshwane has launched eight WhatsApp channels, marking a significant step towards enhancing communication with its residents. Image: Freepik The City of Tshwane has taken a significant step towards improving communication with its residents by launching of eight WhatsApp channels. The channels, which comprise seven regional channels and one city-wide broadcast channel, aim to provide residents with immediate access to service delivery information across all seven regions. Executive Mayor Nasiphi Moya said the launch marks a huge milestone in the administration's efforts to keep Tshwane residents informed about all service delivery matters. 'The City of Tshwane is the first municipality in South Africa to launch WhatsApp channels of this scale,' she said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The channels will provide residents with updates on reported issues such as sewer spills, water or power outages, including progress on repairs and estimated restoration times. They will feature clear and easy-to-understand communication, with service alerts, public service announcements, and project and programme updates. Service alerts will include updates on water, electricity, and sewerage disruptions, road closures, ICT issues, and municipal service schedules. Public service announcements will cover information on policies, by-laws, public participation events, Integrated Development Plan meetings, imbizos, office closures, and warnings against unlawful activities. Residents are encouraged to join the channels specified for the areas they reside in, which will appear under the 'updates' tab once subscription is successfully completed. Moya emphasised that the channels are not intended for political messaging and are designed to supplement the core duties and responsibilities of local councillors. 'We expect that the addition of this virtual portal will serve as a useful tool, along with the city's social media platforms and website, to improve access to information,' she said. With the launch of these WhatsApp channels, the city believes it is set to revolutionise the way it communicates with its residents, providing them with timely and relevant information to enhance their lives.
Daily Maverick
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
How a city came together to rewrite its future in the age of climate change
The People's Plan for the Right to Housing in the age of Climate Change was created by the people, for the people. On 29 May, it was officially adopted by the City of eThekwini as part of its Integrated Development Plan. Complaining about government inaction is practically a national hobby for South Africans – and I get it. Taxes are paid, yet services go undelivered and infrastructure crumbles. But by law, it's the government's job, not ours, to protect the most vulnerable – to ensure safe housing, emergency relief and basic services, especially when disaster strikes. But what happens when ordinary citizens decide waiting isn't good enough? What happens when communities, academics, activists and city officials gather, in churches, libraries, and community halls (wherever they can find a free room) to build the system they wish already existed? In April 2022, catastrophic floods devastated KwaZulu-Natal, causing landslides, collapsing apartment blocks, sweeping away informal settlements and leaving about 489 people dead and more than 40,000 displaced. It is widely considered one of the deadliest storms of this generation in South Africa. A year later, the City of eThekwini's 2023 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) came out, and the 1,000-page document was widely criticised as a copy-and-paste job. It reused outdated content from previous integrated development plans (2002 and 2015) and failed to meaningfully address climate adaptation or disaster risk in human settlements. Despite a promised R1-billion flood relief fund from the National Treasury, the money had still not been accessed by the province. 'We didn't want them to fix the city back to the way it was, which was very unequal,' said Kira Erwin of the environmental justice group groundWork, and part of the Durban Coalition's leadership. 'It needed to be fixed in a way that also addressed inequality.' After the floods, groundWork, along with civil society, academics and residents, grew increasingly concerned that eThekwini wasn't adapting to climate risks. 'The question was, what do we need to do to become better prepared the next time a disaster like this comes?' said Professor Rajen Naidoo, the head of Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. ' Because the disaster is going to come.' International scientists from the World Weather Attribution group found that human-induced climate change had made the type of extreme rainfall that hit KZN in April 2022 at least twice as likely, and 4-8% more intense. 'We were not seeing a substantive shift in the municipality that recognised how we were going to adapt our infrastructure and keep people safe,' said Erwin. 'It was a very difficult time,' recalled Thapelo Mohapi, general secretary of grassroots movement Abahlali baseMjondolo (meaning 'Residents of the Shacks' in isiZulu). 'The government was nowhere to be found.' Nicole Williams from Springfield said that after the floods flattened formal housing in her area and claimed three lives, residents began waking up. 'It's our constitutional right to expect decent living conditions and proper infrastructure,' she said. 'But if we don't hold them accountable, no one will.' 'We decided civil society could drive such a process … we really started to think through what it would take to keep ourselves safe,' said Erwin. And so at the end of 2023, the Durban Coalition was formed. For 18 months, people from informal settlements to suburban neighbourhoods came together with urban planners, grassroots groups, academics and officials to imagine a just, climate-resilient city built from the ground up. In community centres, boardrooms and libraries, they debated, listened, and co-drafted a bottom-up alternative to conventional planning. The result was a living document, the People's Plan for the Right to Housing in an Age of Climate Change: a 20-page blueprint for the city, built like an integrated development plan, but one that is concise, readable, (published in both English and isiZulu) and puts human rights, climate resilience and social justice at its core. Vusi Zweli, chairperson of Ubunye Bama Hostela, a community group of hostel dwellers in Durban and part of the coalition, said the People's Plan helped residents understand why they were 'always fighting a losing battle' – because key issues weren't included in the city's integrated development plan, and therefore had no budget. 'Many councillors don't understand what's inside the IDP themselves,' he said. 'So you can't expect them to explain it to people on the ground.' With the People's Plan translated into isiZulu and discussed in hostel meetings and workshops, Zweli said residents could finally understand what to expect from government planning. 'We call it the People's Plan – it may sound like we're tossing in a populist term, but I think that phrase captures the process into the final document,' said Naidoo. 'This was written by the people, for the people. It's not a politician telling us what they think is best – it's what we've lived through, and know what we need,' said Williams from Springfield. The People's Plan is built on five key pillars: Human rights-centred housing: The plan recommends that the revised housing strategy, as part of eThekwini's Integrated Development Plan and Housing Sector Plan, must be grounded in human rights principles. That means planning and service delivery should prioritise safety, health and inclusivity. Basic services — water, sanitation, waste removal — must be prioritised and maintained. Inclusive governance: The plan proposes creating a municipal climate change high-level working group, including civil society, business and academia, to coordinate resilience planning. It also calls for a formal multi-stakeholder forum for integrated human settlements. Climate resilience in human settlements: Housing must account for climate risks like heat and flooding. The plan calls for vulnerability mapping, early warning systems and updating strategies like Durban's Resilience Strategy with current research. Support for displaced and vulnerable groups: Targeted responses are required for displaced people, refugees, and residents of informal settlements. The plan recommends tenure security, access to affordable, well-located housing, and support for inner-city social rentals. It calls for inclusive, community-driven rental housing solutions. Implementation and accountability: For the plan to succeed, municipal capacity must be strengthened, which includes increasing capital and operational budgets for housing, filling critical municipal posts and fostering a culture of innovation and responsiveness. Civil society and academia should monitor progress and share knowledge. Unlike many policy documents, the People's Plan is designed with clear institutional reforms and practical steps. It proposes high-level structures, budget allocations and performance indicators tied to measurable outcomes. And it insists on partnerships for monitoring and adapting over time. 'The floods are because of climate change, but the consequences are because of poor management and poor planning,' said Naidoo, whose decades-long experience in occupational and environmental health was crucial in helping communities after the 2022 floods and in creating this document. Vulnerable groups – children, the elderly, pregnant women – bear the brunt, he explained. 'If government doesn't have the skills, then we bring in technical experts. That's the role we want to play as civil society.' For Naidoo, the plan's launch was historic: 'I think for the first time we had representation in a single room from communities across eThekwini. It may not have been like the Freedom Charter, but it followed the same consultative route.' But getting the city to take the plan seriously wasn't straightforward. Initially, things looked hopeful – officials participated in workshops throughout the plan's creation and attended the launch in November 2024, indicating it would inform the next integrated development plan. However, when the draft 2025/2026 integrated development plan came out, the coalition was disappointed. Though improved in structure, it still lacked meaningful climate action. The People's Plan was pushed to an appendix – meaning no budget, no department ownership and no power. Still, the coalition kept on working with the municipality – with Durban coalition members, including GroundWork, sending in official comments during the official public comment period calling for the proper implementation of their plan. In late May 2025, after sustained advocacy, city officials reportedly agreed to formally reference the People's Plan in the integrated development plan and to advocate for its implementation in partnership with civil society. Then, on Thursday, 29 May, while I was speaking to Erwin about the plan's significance, she interrupted excitedly: 'Julia, you're not going to believe this – I just got an email saying the 25/26 IDP was adopted by council today.' Bongumusa Zondo, the chief strategy officer for the eThekwini municipality, whose office oversees the integrated development plan processes, confirmed this, and told Daily Maveric k that, 'the People's Plan is aligned with the Municipality Resilience Strategy, Durban Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.' While those municipal strategies exist, Erwin noted that implementation had lagged. What made the People's Plan different, she explained, was its integrated approach to housing and climate – a shift from siloed thinking. It promotes community-led disaster preparedness and envisions local systems – water, food, energy – that can function independently in crises. Zondo added that the city had included a performance indicator in its 2025/26 Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan, reporting on projects aimed at improving municipal resilience. He said the municipality was strengthening partnerships with civil society to improve neighbourhood-level disaster planning and response. United by similarities 'There's a long history of tension between ratepayers' associations and informal settlement organisations in South Africa, especially in Durban,' said Mohapi. Formal residents often see shack-building as a threat to property values and services, while shack dwellers build near jobs and transport. 'It's always been survival of the fittest,' Mohapi said, 'with the ratepayers feeling they are subsidising the poor when the government isn't doing enough. But in the coalition, we've come to see that we are all victims.' He described how powerful it was to engage with people 'who had never seen us as human beings… to have that audience for the first time was great'. He said it was also important to be heard by academics, 'and write what we are saying and put that in a form of research and then of course put it in a plan that is going to be handed over to government'. The coalition, he said, allowed honest exchange. 'We shared our pain and they shared their views. 'Today, we're friends. No one is undermined because they come from an affluent area. We discuss issues as equals.' Mohapi called the ratepayers' group in the coalition progressive 'because they managed to sit with us, listen to us, and they actually now realise that we are the same and we have the same issues'. Nicole Daniels, founder of Springfield Disaster Management and a former ratepayers' association member, agreed. Though she had long empathised with informal settlements, she said the coalition made shared realities clearer. 'The process opened up space for people from all walks of life to realise we're facing the same problems in eThekwini,' Daniels said. 'Whether you live in formal or informal housing, the challenges – poor infrastructure, unresponsive government – are the same.' In April 2022, mudslides killed three people in Springfield. Though the area has formal housing, it's on a floodplain. Poor maintenance and extreme weather lead to damage, sewage spills, power cuts and water outages. Daniels recalled how their councillor, who comes from an informal settlement, was shocked. 'He said, 'I had no idea people in formal housing have the same problems as us.' ' Zondo from eThekwini municipality said that, 'the People's Plan is very important because it demonstrates the bottom-up approach, organised society taking responsibility to work with their government to address local governance matters for the benefit of all. ' Mohapi, as well as the other collaborators, are happy that their document is finally in the process of being implemented into real policy. 'And I think it's very important to realise that even though we are poor, we can think for ourselves and we can come up with solutions,' said Mohapi. 'And it is only the people who are affected directly by the problem of disaster that can come up with solutions on how to get out of that problem. And the People's Plan is just about that.' DM
Daily Maverick
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Nelson Mandela Bay council to decide this week if electricity tariff will rise by 12%
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality will vote on the metro's proposed budget, which includes a 12% increase in electricity tariffs — along with rises for other municipal services. The discussion, however, comes as the Electricity and Energy Directorate finds itself in dire financial and governance straits, with funding still not forthcoming for repairs to the high voltage supply line, which provides power to a large part of the city. The Nelson Mandela Bay metro has admitted in its own Integrated Development Plan that it is to present before council this week that electricity outages in the metro are at an all-time high. Yet the budget for the 2025/2026 financial year proposes that consumers pay 12% more for electricity. The plan notes that the Average System Interruption Frequency Index, which measures how often the average customer experiences outages, has reached record levels, primarily due to high-voltage events. These are caused by cable faults, theft and vandalism of fibre cables that trigger unnecessary feeder trips. The document also notes that outages last longer, with forced load reductions worsening reliability indicators. Meanwhile, the metro's Electricity and Energy Directorate is in a financial crisis, operating at a R1.2-billion loss as it struggles to curb illegal connections, vandalism and the collapse of grid infrastructure. One visible example of municipal inaction is the Grogro informal settlement, where illegal electricity connections stretch across Kragga Kamma Road to a substation. These makeshift cables frequently catch fire. In a letter shared with residents, ward councillor Margaret de Andrade wrote, 'My office has engaged in numerous meetings with the relevant departments on this matter, and we have received commitments on several fronts. However, to date, there has been no meaningful feedback or coordinated action. 'As one of your officials previously stated, 'I have forgotten about Grogro'. 'If this sentiment reflects the current level of attention, it is deeply concerning and unacceptable given the gravity of the situation. 'Unrest risk imminent' 'This is no longer just an operational issue — it is a volatile crisis. The community is growing increasingly frustrated due to the lack of visible intervention, and tensions are rising. The risk of unrest, fires and harm to both residents and municipal staff is imminent. 'I strongly urge all departments to urgently coordinate and communicate with one another. We need immediate alignment between Electricity and Energy, Safety and Security, Legal Services, Human Settlements and Disaster Management.' In addition, according to the metro's reports, about 22% of residential electricity meters have been tampered with. In the proposed budget, it is stated: 'As previously reported to Council, it is important to note that the financial position of the Electricity Service is under immense pressure due to the extent of electricity losses, which impact significantly on the financial sustainability of the municipality. This is supported by the fact that the budget for Electricity Bulk Purchases exceeds the total Electricity Service Charges budget. This means that the Electricity Service, which is a Trading Service, is operating at a substantial deficit, requiring support from property rates.' The 12% proposed tariff hike still needs approval by the National Energy Regulator, and if granted, will kick in on 1 July. However, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber Denise van Huyssteen said they had not seen the metro's application to Nersa. This is the first year that Nersa will publish all applications on its website; the metro's application also doesn't appear there. Van Huyssteen pointed out that the manufacturing industry was the metro's largest electricity consumer (about 59%) and as a result, organised business in Nelson Mandela Bay would like to have more input on the electricity budget. Van Huyssteen warned that, at the current trajectory, there was a real risk that the municipality might default on its Eskom bulk electricity payments. She noted that if the increase remained capped at 12%, business was unlikely to oppose it. In 2022, the metro led litigation against Nersa, securing a ruling that the general guideline and benchmarking method the regulator had used to determine increases was unconstitutional. The metro argued that the municipality should be required to show Nersa how much it cost to distribute electricity bought from Eskom. Van Huyssteen said programmes such as the geyser control initiative should be reinstated, as it had collapsed. 'We want to add that the municipality needs the urgent support of Eskom to fix its infrastructure,' she said. An additional threat to the metro's electricity security is the temporary repairs to the high-voltage line that collapsed last year. In April, one of the pylons partially collapsed again, damaging the temporary fix. Ward councillors Sean Tappan and Dries van der Westhuyzen said earlier this month that there was now a temporary repair to the temporary repair.
IOL News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Tensions rise in KwaDukuza as mayor faces backlash over cancelled public meetings on municipal budget
KwaDukuza Municipality Mayor Muzi Ngidi has hit back at the DA saying he does not need a lecture on his statutory obligations. Image: KwaDukuza Municipality/Facebook A political spat has erupted in KwaDukuza Municipality over the mayor's alleged failure to attend scheduled public meetings on the draft budget and Integrated Development Plan, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) accusing Mayor Muzi Ngidi of neglecting his statutory obligations. DA KwaDukuza caucus leader Privi Makhan said the party had written to the director for Public Participation, the Office of the Speaker, and the municipal manager following the concerning fact that 'only 19 out of 27 scheduled public meetings on the annual draft budget and Integrated Development Plan have taken place.' 'With the public participation process now closed, we are demanding clarity on how these communities were consulted on the draft budget process,' she stated. Makhan dismissed the notion that public meetings are ceremonial, asserting: 'These imbizos are not ceremonial niceties. They are the few remaining spaces where residents, many frustrated by poor service delivery can engage leadership and demand answers.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ She accused Mayor Ngidi of cancelling or avoiding meetings at the last minute and instead prioritising ceremonial appearances: In response, Mayor Ngidi issued a strongly worded statement titled 'Mayor of KwaDukuza needs no lecture on his statutory obligations,' pushing back against Makhan's remarks. 'She accuses the mayor of neglecting one of the crucial platforms meant to ensure public accountability. She seems to believe that my absence from these public meetings symbolises a rejection of my mandate, rather than a clash in my schedule of activities,' said Ngidi. He stated that several meetings had been cancelled for reasons beyond his control, such as poor weather, low attendance, or clashes with other activities. 'Some of the meetings were cancelled due to guidance from ward councillors who advised that the meetings would not attract the desired number of participants. Some were cancelled due to poor attendance. Some were cancelled due to unfavourable weather conditions,' he explained. Ngidi said he had since instructed officials to reschedule meetings to ensure public input is gathered.
IOL News
26-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
The IDP Sessions: A crucial factor in shaping Joburg's 2025/2026 budget
Johannesburg is known for its vibrant arts and culture scene and provides an authentic experience of an African city with plenty to do. As the 2025/2026 budget is tabled, it stands as a testament to the power of community involvement and strategic foresight. As Johannesburg prepares to table its 2025/2026 budget on 28 May 2025, it is essential to acknowledge the instrumental role played by the recent Integrated Development Plan (IDP) engagement sessions in shaping this vital financial blueprint. The successful series of consultations and participatory dialogues held over the past weeks has ensured that the City's budget is more closely aligned than ever before with the needs and aspirations of its residents. This approach flows from the themes articulated in the State of the City Address (SOCA) — 'The Johannesburg We Want to See' — and the budget theme for 2025/2026, 'A Financially Sustainable Joburg.' Engagement as the Foundation for Strategic Planning The IDP sessions brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including residents, community organisations, business leaders, and government officials, to deliberate on the city's development priorities. These forums provided crucial platforms for community members to voice concerns and share insights on key issues such as housing, transportation, sanitation, and economic growth. The participatory nature of these engagements ensured that marginalised and underserved communities had a voice, making the planning process inclusive and representative of Johannesburg's diverse population. Shaping Priorities for 2025/2026 Insights gained from these consultations directly informed the strategic priorities outlined in the current IDP. Community feedback highlighted urgent needs, particularly in electricity, water, transport, safety and affordable housing, as well as electrification of informal settlements and efficient public transport, which have now become central themes in the city's development agenda. Consequently, the upcoming budget reflects these priorities, with increased allocations towards housing initiatives, infrastructure upgrades, and mobility solutions, demonstrating how community input is translating into tangible action.
