Ndithi Tyhido, Khayelitsha
If the system of ward councillors isn’t collapsed it should be improved, upgraded and be transformed to provide far better leadership, services, financial support
and developmental powers in order to
be pro-ward development.
Currently we have councillors who don’t know what to do with the powers that they have.
Are you telling me as a councillor you cannot look beyond municipal resources to develop your ward when there are NGOs in your constituency whom you can partner with in raking and sourcing funding elsewhere and outside municipal borders?
We need to change the narrative, we need to change the mandate of councillors if we are serious about economic development and infrastructure development in our society.
We want councillors who will be people-centred, who will develop business plans with community leaders and their structures, councillors who will have projects beyond grass-cutting, pothole repairs and food parcels.
We want councillors who will create sustainable growth, development and employment.
The kind of councillors we want must be prepared to provide those developmental initiatives.