The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Area South, Councillor Eddie Andrews, had Philippi on his radar yesterday at the first of many planned roadshows for Area South. He presented the City’s new way of working that will enhance service delivery for residents in the form of the Organisational Development and Transformation Plan, (ODTP), engaged with residents first-hand, and listened to their concerns.
More than 170 residents attended the roadshow and took the opportunity to access the City’s services right on their doorstep. Residents were upbeat and made full use of the chance to apply for indigent grants and to raise water, electricity and sanitation issues. They also made the effort to register on the job seekers database and engage with City representatives from the Health, Social Development and Revenue Departments. The library hosted a reading corner and a team from Come and Play were also on hand to keep the little ones engaged.
Councillor Andrews took time out to visit the Ruth First Early Childhood Development Centre where he delivered toys from the Mayor’s Play if Forward Campaign. He also inspected two sites where illegal dumping is a serious concern. Later in the afternoon he visited the Philippi Village, Philippi Economic Development Initiative, and the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation. He was keen to understand the various stakeholders and the role they play in Philippi.
‘The City’s ODTP allows each mayor’s representative, such as myself, to focus our attention within a specific area. It gives me the opportunity, together with City representatives, to enhance service delivery by bringing local government closer to our communities. That was the main reason for our visit yesterday, which was the first of many such engagement sessions with our residents. I am reaching out to all our stakeholders in Philippi to work with me to further uplift and improve the lives of our residents in this area. I cannot do it alone, so let us all commit to working together to achieve more in terms of service delivery,’ said Councillor Andrews.
Area-based service delivery is about a basket of services that the City provides and goes beyond basic services like water, electricity, and sanitation. It includes other services such as roads infrastructure, health services, and sports and recreational services, among others.
‘We all have a lot of work to do to improve the living conditions of our vulnerable residents and to redress the imbalances of the past. Therefore we want our residents to know that this new area-based service delivery model will bring the office of the mayor closer to those who need it most. I would also like to acknowledge the ward councillors and thank them for working with me to enhance service delivery for our Philippi residents. It is no longer business as usual at the City and we need all hands on deck to make a difference in the lives of our residents,’ added Councillor Andrews.