The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is urging all its residents to make use of the municipal mobile application to ensure better service delivery in the metro.
This after the municipal call centre staff, who operate the municipality’s service delivery hotline, went on a recent strike for permanent positions within the call centre.
As a result of the strike, complaints about water, electricity and sanitation problems were unattended.
The Executive Mayor, Mongameli Bobani, has since promised permanent positions for the 32 call centre staff.
According to the municipal spokesperson, Kupido Baron, the municipality, like any other entity, is going digital to ensure better service delivery to all residents.
“The municipal mobile application could have been used during the strike of the call centre staff, but residents were not aware of it.
“Even though the app was launched in 2016, not enough residents are currently using it,” Baron said.
The mobile application provides direct communication with the municipality and serves as a platform through which residents are able to interact with the municipality for services and reporting of faults.
“The municipal application was launched to cater for all residents and to make use of it in the comfort of their own home. We are living in an age where communities are much more actively engaged than before.
“Mobile devices such as cellphones and tablet computers are increasingly becoming the tools of choice for communication and engagement.
“Given the number of mobile technologies available and the ease of access, people are becoming increasingly connected across the world. That’s exactly why the municipality launched this mobile application,” Baron said.
The application is available on Android, iOS, RIM and Symbian mobile operating systems.
An additional feature added to the mobile app, is a GPS tracking system.
Baron added, “Residents can make use of the GPS tracking system on the mobile application, which tracks the reported water leak, burst pipe or any other problem. The problem will be attended to only if it’s reported and the GPS can successfully track the place.”
The mobile application can be downloaded via “Play Store” on a mobile phone by searching for “NMBM Mobile Application” and installing it on the device. The application can also be uploaded to iTunes, Appworld and Blackberry World. Residents can use “Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality” in the search options.
Residents will be able to receive and request the following services from their mobile phone via the application:
- Reporting incidents, such as potholes or burst pipes
- Current municipal statements
- Balance enquiries
- Submission of metre readings
- Make account payments and
- Purchase prepaid electricity.
According to Baron, new features will be added to the mobile application in the future to ensure improved functionality and to make the application more user friendly.
