#OperationLokisa – City plans to reduce service delivery protests across Johannesburg

The City of Joburg’s Legislative arm of government led Operations Lokisa to a number areas that have been identified with service delivery gaps on Tuesday, 26 June 2018.
This is in a bid to reduce service delivery protests across Johannesburg, among other objectives.
Operation Lokisa, which is a Sesotho word meaning to fix or sort out, was spearheaded by the Chair of Chairs in the Council, Councillor Alex Christians, to attend to specific and urgent issues that have long being raised by residents.
Councillor Christians and the Chairpersons of Section 79 Committees led a delegation of internal and external stakeholders to conduct an oversight visit to the various old age homes around Westdene, Riverlea and Reuven areas as a follow up.
The MMC for Finance, Cllr Funzela Ngobeni, who is also the leader of the executive business, the newly appointed MMC for Housing Cllr Meshack van Wyk and Cllr Nazley Sharif, who is the Chairperson of GEYODI also joined in the inspection. Operation Lokisa follows extensive pre- and oversight visits by Social Cluster Committee later last year and early this year, which reported on a number of issues that were raised by residents such as housing, health, public safety, environment and infrastructure issues.
Cllr Christians said the success of this programme should ensure that the issues raised by communities are mitigated at an elementary stage.
“Among other things, this programme should be able to enhance communication and interface with community members, review, monitor and evaluate departmental policies; plans and budget implementation impact,” said Cllr Christians.
He cautioned that departments should not over promise communities when there is no budget committed for projects.
“The Executive Mayor is clear, if there is no budget allocated to projects, we should not over promise communities,” he said.
An 84-year-old Karen Botha, who has been living at Annie Burger Senior Old Age Home in Grown Gardens, said she was happy that politicians came to listen to their issues.
“We are taking care of each other as elderly people here and hope that you are here to take our issues,” said Botha.