Municipality Establishes Ward Development Committees
…Committees support Councillors in the performance of their community responsibilities
The Municipal Council of Manzini has established Ward Development Committees (WDCs) in all 12 municipal wards. The purpose of the committees, consisting of community members, is to support Ward Councillors in the performance of their responsibilities within the communities. The committees will be in office for the duration of the Ward Councillors’ term in office. They have been assigned several key roles and responsibilities which were communicated to them during an orientation workshop held last Saturday at the Zakhele Community Hall. One of their responsibilities is to ensure, working together with their Ward Councillor, that community residents are regularly consulted so that service delivery issues that require the attention of the Municipality are timely elevated to the Ward Councillor for appropriate action to be taken by the Municipality. They are also required to mobilise residents’ attendance of community meetings. By acting as the eyes, ears and hands of the Ward Councillors, the committees play a crucial role in representing the interests and needs of the community.
Additionally, the committees are responsible for identifying citizen socio-economic projects that could be funded through either the Municipality or other sources of funding such as the national Government’s development funds. This initiative encourages community members to propose projects that can contribute to the local economy and improve the overall wellbeing of residents. The committees are also required to assist the Ward Councillor with encouraging property owners within their communities to pay property taxes so that the Municipality can be in a position to deliver essential services and support community development. Moreover, they are to assist the Ward Councillor with identification of potential areas of revenue generation within their respective wards. They are also required to assess the HIV and AIDS requirements within their wards; enabling the Municipality to develop appropriate interventions and programmes to encourage prevention as well as address the needs of those affected by the disease. They are also required to identify vulnerable and indigent individuals and households and notify the Ward Councillor for possible municipal interventions. The programme also emphasizes environmental stewardship; with the committees being responsible for identifying environmental hazards within their wards and reporting them to their Ward Councillors for necessary action to be taken. This ensures that the Municipality addresses and mitigates potential risks to public health and the environment.
Environmental hazards includes issues of illegal dumping of waste in undesignated areas, littering and others. Developing programmes that seek to promote community cohesion, safety and neighbourliness is another responsibility that has been assigned the committees; working together with the Ward Councillor. They are also expected to develop strategies to keep the youth engaged and away from unacceptable behavior such as alcohol and drug abuse by recommending alternatives such as sports and recreational programmes and capacity building initiatives such as training on entrepreneurship, how to prepare for a job interview, how to write a curriculum vitae as well as other skills. Establishment of the WDCs demonstrates the Municipality’s commitment to community engagement and involvement. Through efficient execution of their roles and responsibilities, the committees will assist the Municipality in the improvement of citizens’ quality of life within each ward; fostering a prosperous and inclusive community. The Municipality expresses gratitude to residents in all 12 municipal wards for their participation during the process of establishing the Ward Development Committees.
…COMMUNITY IDP CONSULTATIONS BEGIN NEXT SATURDAY
Residents of the City of Manzini are notified that the 2019-2024 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) is coming to an end at the end of next month. The Municipality has, therefore, started the process of developing a new IDP that will run from this year up to the year 2030. An IDP is the Municipality’s long term development planning framework and all projects and programmes that get to be delivered in the city during that period are those that form part of the IDP. One of the key activities during the IDP development process is stakeholder consultation. This inclusive approach to development planning is encouraged globally as it empowers stakeholders to contribute to the future of their city and ensures that the IDP reflects the needs and aspirations of the city’s citizens. The IDP development process is also where a new vision for the city is developed. It is, therefore, crucial that city residents and all other stakeholders be consulted. The consultation process started with strategic stakeholders including the business sector, utility service providers, education sector, people with disabilities, sports and recreation, neighbouring traditional authorities and various government ministries.
Next week Saturday and Sunday (24th and 25th February 2024; with both starting at 2pm), community 2024-2030 IDP community consultation meetings will be held with residents of wards 1(Zakhele Community Hall) and 3 (St Paul’s High School), respectively. Ward 1 includes Zakhele, Two Sticks and Old Zakhele whilst Ward 3 covers Fairview North, Fairview South and Helemisi. It is crucial that residents attend the meeting in their numbers and voice their opinions to shape the future development of the city. During the meetings, residents will be afforded an opportunity to contribute their ideas and suggestions regarding developmental projects that should be included in the new 6-year IDP. By attending the meetings in large numbers, residents can collectively make their voices heard and influence the decision-making process. The process will move to other municipal wards in subsequent weeks. Specific dates for the subsequent community consultation meetings will be communicated in due course.