IDP is a principal strategic planning instrument which guides and informs all planning, budgets and management decision-making in a municipality.
Hundreds of young people from Ramaphosa and the surrounding areas came out to interact with the Ekurhuleni Metro on the developments they would love to see happening in the informal settlement.
The purpose of the meeting was to find a possible, long-lasting solution to the communities’ socio-economic challenges, which could then be translated into a strategic development plan.
Modise Koetle, divisional head of the Youth Directorate, said meetings like these are important for the youth to voice their concerns.
“We normally hear young people say they don’t have swimming pools and art centres, so this is the time to list what you would love to see happening in your area,” Koetle said.
Sipho Mkhatswa, from the Integrated Development Planning office said that IDP meetings help the local municipalities to focus on the most important needs of the local community, taking into account the resources available at local level.
“The IDP identifies the least serviced and most impoverished areas and points to where municipal funds should be spent,” he explained.
“The IDP, therefore, helps to develop realistic project proposals based on the availability of resources.
”It also helps to attract additional funding, while strengthening democracy and helps to overcome the legacy of apartheid.”
The youth at the meeting especially called for more educational youth gatherings.
They also called for the establishment of a university in Ekurhuleni, the roll out of Wifi to different townships, jobs for young people and proper housing.
Siyabonga Kolase, from Katlehong, said they rarely see developments aid the young people.
“It is time for the government to take us seriously. We have so many needs, but little is fulfilled. We need educational facilities and we need a youth directorate offices to be built at various Customer Care Centres.
“The National Youth Development Agency offices located in our townships are not helping us with anything, so we need assistance from the government to deal with the issues at hand,” Kolase said.
