Nelson Mandela Bay reaches out to people of Kariega

By Anita Dangazele

The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality (NMBM) hosted a mayoral outreach programme in Kariega on Monday to improve service delivery and better understand the community’s needs.

Acting city manager Mandla George said the meeting’s purpose was to renew trust between the municipality and the communities it serves.

“Our goal is to foster relationships built on trust, and through clear communication, we can achieve greater transparency,” he said. 

“The engagement offers residents a chance to receive feedback from NMBM officials and participate in a question and answer session with the appropriate representatives.” 

George said the meeting was also intended to ensure that municipal officials are aware of the living conditions of the communities they serve.

“We don’t have the luxury to sit in our offices; we want to be here [at the meeting] to understand the impact of our decisions. When someone sits in their office with a memo to deliver toilets in a community, [they] can never understand … if they don’t go to communities,” he said.

At the meeting, residents complained of longer turnaround times for service delivery and lack of maintenance.

“In some streets, we have sewage that has been running for many years,” said one resident. “The municipality does not respond to enquiries. You will call and call and never get any feedback from municipal offices.”

Another resident said they don’t feel like part of the municipality.

“This municipality only works for the people of Gqeberha and not us; as residents of Kariega, we feel like we are stepkids,” the resident said. “Service delivery here is a mystery; services take forever to come to us. Look at this community; it is one of the poorest in the municipality.”

George assured residents that the meeting was part of a bigger plan to revitalise service delivery in Kariega.

NMBM chief whip Wandisile Jikeka reassured community members that the concerns they raised would be handled and resolved.

He also promised that the municipality would return in two weeks with further updates and answers.

Pictured above: Residents of Kwalanga in Kariega at the Tamboville Multipurpose Centre on Monday.

Source: Anita Dangazele