Community Members Discuss Issues In Mpumalanga Presidential Imbizo

Several community members attended and raised their issues in District Development Model (DDM) Presidential Imbizo held at the Sy Mthimunye Stadium in Mpumalanga.

The 12th Presidential Imbizo was held under the theme, "Leave No One Behind" on Thursday to allow community members and stakeholders to express their concerns or dissatisfaction with the government and share their proposals, if any.

Imbizo allows President Cyril Ramaphosa and other leaders in government to assess progress made and to be briefed on challenges regarding service delivery since the President's previous imbizo held in Carolina in May 2022.

During the event, many community members noted that they feel municipal officials don't share their concerns with high officials.

Japhter Maseko from Emalahleni said, "We want the President to hear our problems and concerns directly from us. We want to have access to clean water. We have been having problems with the provision of water and that the state of our roads is bad. We want government to supply us with clean water and proper roads," SA News reported.

Another community member from Siyabuswa, Sinethemba Mgabadeli, also shared similar sentiments noting that sometimes there is no water for many days. Hence, he should get an opportunity to speak to the President and ask him to fire all the officials who don't care about people's lives.

Nkululeko Skhosana from Malelane urged the government to immediately work on their issues as the lives of community members are "miserable without proper services."

"Water is our main concern. We sometimes go for days without water. In some instances, we are forced to buy water from the shops to survive," Skhosana said. "We send our children to school and when they finish studying, there are no jobs. No one wants to employ them. We are appealing to government to create jobs for our children."

On the sidelines of the DDM Presidential Imbizo, the government announced that it is bringing various services closer to the people of Mpumalanga.

For instance, residents can now apply and collect their ID cards from the post office and make inquiries on grants at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).

Furthermore, the National Youth Development Agency, and the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) service departments will also be available in the Mpumalanga province where people can make inquiries.

The Presidential Imbizo, which was attended by municipal officials, politicians and traditional leaders, serves as an important platform for transparent and constructive exchanges between communities and government.

Since inception in March 2022, the Imbizo have empowered millions of South Africans to directly engage with the President, fostering discussions on policy and acknowledging government efforts aimed to enhance public service.