Pretoria - The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality showed its commitment to improving the relations with its residents by opening new ward councillor offices in various areas across the city.
The opening of the ward councillor offices will make it easier for residents to gain access to and meet with their ward councillors when they need to lodge complaints or direct enquiries regarding municipal related issues.
The municipality opened new offices in Motherwell's Wards 54, 56, 57, 58, and Ward 49 in Rosedale, Uitenhage. A caretaker's office was also opened in Ward 54.
The councillors had previously been accommodated in large steel containers and community halls, with hardly any equipment. The new offices come fully equipped with office equipment, furniture and a boardroom.
The new offices are expected to provide a safe and more user-friendly area for the councillors to meet with the community, and also to improve the efficiency and delivery of services.
Portfolio Chairperson for Integrated Human Settlements, Fikile Desi, said the offices were built with the aim of improving the performance of Councillors.
"The new office space will definitely boost the development in the respective wards. I am calling for the people to protect these facilities because they are meant to facilitate a better life for them," said Desi.
He commended the building contractors for "a job well done."
"The quality of work that was done when building these offices is of a high standard," he said.
Ward 56 councillor, Linda Kwitsana, said she was delighted to have her own office, and was pleased that it was so well equipped with everything she needed to do her job well. "I can serve the people with dignity in my new office."
"The container that I (previously) used as an office was small and when residents came to see me, we had to meet outside. The better facility will go a long way toward improving service delivery," said Kwitsana.