The City of Tshwane has received at least 30 applications from organisations interested in collaborating with the metro in providing maintenance services on public infrastructure despite recent criticisms by political parties on its partnership with a lobby group AfriForum.
The initiative called community upliftment precinct offers organised communities an opportunity to provide maintenance services such as cutting grass in public places and repairing potholes.
Mayor Cilliers Brink said: “I am pleased to report that the City’s community upliftment precinct initiative has received good uptake from communities and organisations that are keen on forming partnerships with the City to improve services within their communities.”
Launched in December 2023 following council approval, the initiative is aimed at assisting interested residents, businesses and communities to enter into formal agreements with the City to maintain and improve services and limited public infrastructure within their residential, business and industrial areas.
Brink said: “The City has so far received 30 CUP applications following the launch of the initiative. Out of the 30 applications, a total of seven applicants have been evaluated, with six receiving provisional approval.”
One applicant, Silver Woods Homeowners Association, was approved after applying to replace 41 street bulbs in its area.
“The CUP initiative is part of our whole-of-society approach to work with communities in maintaining their neighbourhoods and surrounding spaces without unnecessary bureaucracy or barriers from the City,” Brink said.
Interested communities in the initiative must consult with their ward councillors to draft a list of service challenges.
“This list will be brought to the attention of the office of the city manager, which will in turn liaise with the relevant regional officials and arrange a meeting with the community. An operational plan will be drafted by the City together with the community and final approval will be granted by the office of the city manager,” Brink said.
Recently, the regional ANC in Tshwane criticised the metro’s agreement with AfriForum, calling for Brink to revoke it because “AfriForum is an Afrikaaner lobby group that has masked its colours and work to service white minority groups”.
EFF in Gauteng, on the other hand, rejected the partnership, saying “the DA-led government missed an opportunity to adopt the EFF’s proposal in council to enhance the City’s capacity, thus enabling it to fulfil its obligations without outsourcing primary responsibilities”.
Pretoria News
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za