George Municipality Engages Citizens in 2024/2025 IDP Review Through Public Participation Sessions

The George Municipality in South Africa has taken significant steps to fortify its governance and community relationships through comprehensive public participation sessions aimed at reviewing the 2024/2025 Integrated Development Plan (IDP). This series of collaborative meetings, held between November 4 and 12, saw interactive engagements across various sectors of the community, encompassing all 28 wards of the municipality, including Rosemoor, Thembalethu, the George Civic Centre, Pacaltsdorp, and Uniondale.

Whitney Prins, Manager: IDP and Public Participation, emphasized the commitment to aligning municipal efforts with community needs, stating, “These sessions act as a vital link between municipal planning and community expectations, ensuring that our strategies and budgets reflect the real demands of our citizens.”

Amid budget constraints, the municipality continued to prioritize effective communication and project updates, utilizing the District Development Model (DDM) to incorporate feedback from ward-level discussions into provincial and national conversations. This methodology promotes a cooperative approach through the Inter-Governmental Relations (IGR) process, ensuring that community voices resonate at all levels of government planning and execution.

Dr. Kosie Haarhoff, Deputy Director of Strategic Growth and Development, underscored the importance of reducing community unrest by providing timely updates and fostering active participation. “Transparent communication is key. Regular updates and active engagement in decision-making processes help build trust and mitigate the feelings of neglect among the citizens,” he explained.

Further emphasizing community involvement, Councillor Sean Snyman urged residents to actively engage with their Ward Councillors and committees. "Active participation is essential. It’s crucial that residents communicate with their representatives to ensure that their concerns and needs are reflected accurately in the IDP," he stated.

The introduction of service desks at the sessions allowed for direct dialogues between residents and various municipal departments, addressing immediate service delivery issues and discussing ongoing projects detailed in the IDP. This setup facilitated one-on-one interactions, ensuring that specific concerns were heard and managed effectively.

Additionally, as part of ensuring orderly conduct during these sessions, the Community Services Directorate deployed law enforcement officers. This preventive measure was crucial in maintaining the serenity and order throughout the participatory process, allowing constructive dialogues to take place without disruptions.

Through robust community engagement and structured feedback mechanisms, George Municipality is striving to create a participatory governance model that not only addresses current service delivery issues but also sets a robust foundation for future municipal planning and development.

For those looking to get more involved or need further information, the municipality encourages reaching out to their respective Ward Councillor or contacting the IDP office directly.