‘IDP is a wish list’ – Visser
Councillor Estelle Visser gives her view on the IDP list.
EKURHULENI METRO: Integrated Development Plan (IDP) has had numerous queries from Councillors as many projects are never completed or even started by the date the list for next year has to be completed by ward councillors and ward committee members.
A frustrated Ward Councillor Estelle Visser told the RECORD, “Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) describes the IDP as a wish list and not a To Do list, as it is labelled in Cape Town.
“Priorities are never or very seldom met but every year we as the Councillors and ward committees have to go through a futile process of prioritising projects in our wards. What about the expectations of the communities when even prioritised projects have not been completed?
“A good example is in ward 38, where money has only been budgeted towards Kromvlei Cemetery in the 2013/2014 financial year, although prioritised projects such as Jackson Dam and the Swartkoppies bridge, from the 2012/2013 budget year, have still not been completed.”
For the two above priorities Estelle has not been given any money over the past two years, although other projects in EMM, which do not need upgrading, were awarded millions. The recent upgrading of the offices in the Germiston Civic Centre is a good example of such a project.
“I cannot fix the Swartkoppies bridge worth more than R1 000 000, although money is allocated by departments for something else in my ward, without even considering the priorities as set and communicated by me and my ward committee.
“Communication among departments and among councillors and departments in the IDP process is also null and void. The IDP office states that they are only responsible for convening the meetings to set priorities and from there they have no control over the implementation or funding of these priorities,” continued Estelle.
IDP planning is done every year, but projects are hardly ever completed because there is no budget allocation to the prioritised projects.
According to Visser, EMM have some answers to give not only to ward councillors, but also to the communities it affects.
