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People’s Post
OTTERY
Facilities increase access SIPHESIHLE NOTWABAZA SihleMusic
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esidents can access any City of Cape Town facilities provided that they follow the due processes. This was clarified after an Ottery resident, Keith Blake organised a meeting with Neo Mkwane, a City’s community liaison officer, to answer some of the questions asked by the community about accessing facilities.The pair met at Blake’s house on Thursday 4 July. Blake, a community activist, says residents from different areas asked him questions about accessing the community facilities such as halls. He then decided to invite an official from the City to give answers.Blake, a retired police officer who is also a community development diehard, said people expressed confusion with the system that needs to be followed when they book community halls. He said he received calls from people in areas such as Lansdowne, Pelican Park and even Retreat who had questions about the facilities available to them and also sports fields for community events. As he is not a City official, he decided to invite someone who was in a better position to explain the process. “People do not know how to approach the authorities on how to use the halls. They end up hosting community meetings in their backyards,” he claimed. He said the other issue was that of red tape, where there is a long and tedious process to be followed for people to access the facilities, and according to him, that is unfair. Mkwane said the process was simple. He added all that is necessary is for residents to communicate with their ward councillors. He said if the community is having issues with their community leaders, they can contact him directly. Explaining the matter at hand, he said the City offers a wide range of opportunities for residents, public benefit and community, based non-profit organisations to access facilities at discounted rates
Neo Mkwane, Keith Blake and Monique Valentine. PHOTO: SIPHESIHLE NOTWABAZA
or on a free usage basis. “This, however, is subject to the success of their free usage application. The city facilitates free usage over a recommended two-week period. Forms are available at subcouncil offices and with respective ward councillors. Similarly, organisations that require any financial assistance from the City must undertake the ‘Grants in Aid’ (GIA) application process which opens for applications on an annual basis,” he explained. An application form for GIA funding is available online on the City’s website. According to Mkwane, GIA is also subject to the success of the application and he added the mayor’s office facilitates all container donation requests. In addition, he emphasised the city would like to process all appli-
cations to use facilities submitted as soon as possible. “We always advocate for 48 hours and a weeks time you will get a notification,” he explained. He also explained he will not speak on behalf of ward councillors and how they respond to emails. He says people have their own ways of working, and situations and priority levels of emails matter. His message to people is to keep record of all communications with their City leaders so that if there is dissatisfaction it can be dealt with. He emphasised the facilities are there to be used by communities, it is just that proper processes have to be followed. “There is absolutely no reason why our community organisations cannot access our facilities, provided they have been booked,”
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he added. Monique Valentine, who works as a media liaison officer for Aylesbury Place Community, lashed out at some ward councillors whom she did not name for not responding to emails and not communicating with residents about facilities. Valentine is one of many community members who have made contact with Blake about accessing facilities. She said she appreciated the meeting as it has given a clear explanation. Valentine revealed they, as an organisation, have all the paper trail of all the communication with her community leaders when they wanted to use a park and were never given a go-ahead. V For more info call Neo Mkwane on 021 444 8448.
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