The Cape Winelands District Municipality’s (CWDM) Mayoral Mondays, which form part of the organisation’s public participation process, have been concluded. These sessions were hosted from September to October in each of our local municipalities, namely Langeberg, Witzenberg, Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, with the last event in Breede Valley on Monday 28 October 2024.
The sessions provided a platform for open and robust discussions with registered businesses, NGOs/NPOs, and community organisations. Each session garnered substantial attendance, with several trending issues emerging during the discussions. Participants showed an interest in aspects such as learning how to register as suppliers of the CWDM, how to obtain funding for their businesses and organisations, and how to request Municipal Health Services certification for various facilities. Additionally, several community, social, economic and health safety concerns were raised with the district municipality.
Attendees had the opportunity to speak directly with our Executive Mayor, Ald (Dr) Elna von Schlicht, her portfolio members, and officials from the departments of Supply Chain Management, Fire Services, Disaster Management, Municipal Health Services, Local Economic Development, Tourism, and Rural and Social Development.
Our Mayoral Mondays also created an opportunity for the community to connect with Western Cape Government’s departments that were also present at our sessions, such as Health and Wellness, Community and Safety, Cultural Affairs and Sport, and Economic Development and Tourism.
“Public participation is one of the cornerstones of democracy,” shared Executive Mayor Ald (Dr) Elna von Schlicht. “These face-to-face interactions ensure that the CWDM delivers services that benefit the people of our district.”
For those who may have missed our Mayoral Monday sessions, please note that there is still an opportunity to contribute. You are invited to reach out by emailing your concerns and input regarding our draft budget for the fiscal year 2025/2026 to idp@capewinelands.gov.za.
Public participation is ongoing until the end of February 2025. Inputs received will guide the budget allocated to various projects. Subsequently, in March/April 2025, the draft budget will undergo another public participation process to ensure it addresses the needs expressed by community representatives during the initial process. During this period, the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) team gathers additional public input and considerations.
We appreciate the active participation of businesses, community organisations, and NGOs/NPOs during these sessions and look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to address the needs of our communities.
