Residents of eThekwini are being offered an opportunity to provide input into the future development of the city and make sure that their community needs are heard.
They can submit their comments on the draft Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for the 2024/2025 financial year. The IDP is a key city strategy that informs and guides all service delivery and development in the region.
All planning, including budgeting, management and decision-making related to delivering services and development in the municipal area, is considered in this city business plan, the municipality said in a statement.
“The IDP considers the challenges facing the city and the strategic approach to resolving these as underpinned by the city’s long-term development plan and informed by global, national and provincial policies such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the National Development Plan (NDP) and the provincial Growth and Development Strategy,” the municipality said.
The IDP consists of eight plans that will help the city achieve its vision of becoming “Africa’s most caring and liveable city”. These plans are all inter-related and include actions to develop and sustain spatial, natural and built environment; develop a prosperous, diverse economy and create employment as well as creating a quality living environment.
“The IDP also takes into consideration building a socially cohesive environment, developing the skills of our communities, fostering good governance, ensuring a financially accountable and sustainable city,” the municipality highlighted.
They added that each plan has a set of deliverables which informs the city’s budget and with which its performance is monitored.
A Service Delivery Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP) is thereafter compiled to monitor the implementation of the various programmes and projects contained within each plan.
The SDBIP provides both financial as well as non-financial performance indicators which are used to monitor and evaluate quarterly and yearly service delivery targets, the municipality said, adding that the document also forms part of the IDP.
They said public consultations on the draft plan will be taking place together with the draft budget.
“It is a critical opportunity for the public to provide input into the future development of the city and make sure that their community needs are raised,” the municipality said in the statement.
The draft IDP is available on the municipality’s website: durban.gov.za.
Comments can be sent to [email protected]
The closing date for comments submission is Tuesday April 23.