The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Constituency Services Special Programmes Unit recently held an important cluster meeting at the Babs Madlakane Community Hall in KwaNobuhle. The goal was to promote community engagement.
The gathering marked an important step toward strengthening community engagement by establishing structure forums across different sectors of society.
The initiative is aimed at creating localised support systems that represent diverse community groups. These include women, men, youth, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community. Within the new forums, each sector appointed leaders for seven key positions. These positions are Chairperson, Deputy-Chairperson, Secretary, Deputy-Secretary, Organiser, Treasurer, and Public Relations Officer (PRO). This ensures community engagement across all areas.
Municipal spokesperson, Sithembiso Soyaya, emphasised the importance of this initiative in fostering stronger connections between the municipality and residents. “The purpose of these forums is to create a platform where people can engage directly with representatives closer to them,” Soyaya explained. “It decentralises communication and enables community engagement. Residents can address challenges effectively within their own communities.”
The cluster meeting particularly focused on establishing comprehensive forums that resonate with the needs of local residents. By appointing sector-specific portfolio heads, the forums are designed to provide every group in the community with a voice. They also offer a means of channelling their concerns through official structures. “This initiative ensures that residents are not left without direction when faced with challenges,” added Soyaya.
“If someone needs help within their cluster, they now have a dedicated framework to turn to. It also bridges the gap between the municipality and community members. This fosters community engagement to ensure residents experience improved communication and service delivery.”
The creation of such forums is expected to support the effectiveness of ward-based planning. This will open up dialogue between different sectors within the wards. Localised representation means that issues unique to each demographic can be addressed with greater precision and care. Portfolio heads will relay these concerns directly to the municipality, promoting better community engagement.
In addition to creating a platform for engagement, the forums also aim to ensure inclusivity and equal representation. By covering a wide array of groups, from youth to LGBTQ+ communities, the municipality is seeking to create spaces where community engagement can thrive. In these spaces, every voice is heard and every issue addressed.
“When community members feel that they are part of the process, we can collectively improve service delivery,” said Soyaya.
“Each voice in these forums adds to the larger effort of making Nelson Mandela Bay a municipality that truly serves its people,” he concluded. This emphases the importance of community engagement in this process.
