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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on all stakeholders in Mangaung, residents and the business sector, to review the draft Integrated Development Plan (IDP), the Multi-Year Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) budget, sectoral plans, and spatial development framework that have been published. The DA urges everyone to submit their inputs before the closing date of Tuesday, 23 May 2023.

Stakeholders can access the draft IDP 2023/2024, sectoral plans, spatial development framework, the MTREF Budget 2023/2024 – 2025/2026, and budget-related policies here.

The misalignment between the IDP and budget with the actual needs of the community of Mangaung, leading to a decline in service delivery, is gravely concerning. Increased community participation is crucial to ensuring that the planning, budgeting, and execution of service delivery in Mangaung align with the needs of the community.

The DA has attended community meetings throughout the Metro to ensure that the voices of all communities in Mangaung are heard. We strongly encourage communities to scrutinise the draft plans and policies and make further submissions to the administration before finalising them. The community's wants and needs should be reflected in the plans, policies, and budget.

The DA is calling for the establishment of a Mangaung IDP Representative Forum (MIDPRep) to enable better and continuous engagement between stakeholders in MMM. The forum would include representatives from the business sector, NGOs, neighbourhood associations, and provincial and national government officials. This will ensure that the IDP and budgeting processes benefit from the valuable contributions that stakeholders can make, especially in finding solutions to pressing service delivery issues in Mangaung.

The DA will continue to champion increased participation by all stakeholders in the planning, budgeting, and execution of service delivery projects in Mangaung. The DA Mangaung will table its alternative Budget for Mangaung in the coming weeks.

Issued by Werner Pretorius - DA Councillor Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Member of Section 80 Committee for IDP and Performance Management