The FF Plus has submitted a proposal to the Speaker of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Council (NMBM), Ms Eugene Johnson, to decentralise the various areas of the Metro.
The party also sent an official letter regarding the matter to the Eastern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).
The main aim of decentralising is to improve service delivery, stimulate economic growth and improve the quality of life of all the residents of the Metro’s sixty wards.
At present, the NMBM’s municipal area is so vast that it can no longer be considered governance on grass-roots level.
The current government structure, which amalgamates the City of Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) and the towns of Despatch and Uitenhage (Kariega), needs to be revised.
The amalgamation of these areas means that existing municipal assets, such as buildings and offices in Despatch and Uitenhage, are being underutilised.
The proposed decentralised governance model entails each area controlling its own municipality, allowing it to govern and promote its own interests, or at the very least, the introduction of sub-councils to focus on the needs of the residents of a specific area.
This will ensure better service delivery and maintenance of critical infrastructure, particularly in areas such as Uitenhage and Despatch, which are currently governed out of Port Elizabeth.
The FF Plus’s proposal is based on the notion of unity in diversity, which strives for a better life and opportunities for all.
It also recognises the realities and diverse needs of all communities.
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