The Dr Beyers Naudé Municipality’s Mayoral Outreach Programme, aimed at facilitating public consultation on the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), Draft Budget, and Spatial Development Framework (SDF), resumed today, 13 May.
The programme was originally scheduled to take place between 22 April and 2 May, but following the successful conclusion of the initial sessions held in Rietbron and Willowmore on 22 and 23 April respectively, it was postponed.
The municipality has since published an updated schedule for the remaining engagements, which is as follows:
Tuesday, May 13:
Klipplaat (Ward 10) – Town Hall at 11:00
Jansenville (Ward 11) – Town Hall at 16:00
Wednesday, May 14:
Aberdeen (Ward 1 and 7) – Kamdeboo Primary School @ 16:00
Thursday, May 15:
Nieu Bethesda (Ward 2) – Pienaarsig at 11:00
Graaff-Reinet (Ward 2) – Auditorium at 16:00
Monday, May 19:
Graaff-Reinet (Ward 5 and 6) – uMasizakhe Hall at 16:00
Tuesday, May 20:
Graaff-Reinet (Ward 4 and 5) – Alex Laing Hall at 16:00
Wednesday, May 21:
Graaff-Reinet (Ward 3) – PPK Church at 16:00
Thursday, May 22: Graaff-Reinet (Ward 7) – Graaff-Reinet Primary School at 16:00
Some residents of the Baviaanskloof have expressed their dissatisfaction as the revised schedule does not include an outreach session in the Baviaanskloof area.
According to them, Baviaanskloof was overlooked last year as well.
Ward Councillor Ewald Loock has explained, however, that this is not a significant issue, as all the needs of the Baviaanskloof community related to the IDP were already documented during a previous community meeting held by the IDP manager in Zaaimanshoek in February.
Many Steytlerville residents are also discontented with the fact that the outreach session scheduled for yesterday – Monday, 12 May – did not take place.
At this stage, no explanation has been provided for the cancellation of the session in Steytlerville, but the Komani-Karoo Express can confirm that the meetings in Klipplaat and Jansenville are indeed underway today.
