Team Benschop for Mayor yesterday outlined five pillars for the restoration of the city with emphasis on transparency at every level as it launched its manifesto ahead of next month’s local government elections.
Ronson Grey, the team’s campaign manager, as he discussed transparency and accountability, told an audience at the Pegasus Hotel that residents will always be made aware of plans long before they are implemented. This issue of transparency was reiterated by other team members, who took to the podium to deliver the group’s five-step plan.
The pillars identified for the development of the city are effective management; a long-term plan to keep the city safe and clean; modernisation of all services provided by the city; addressing city parking and vendor issues; and community development at the grassroots level.
Once elected to the city council, within the first 100 days in office, the group says it will seek to carry out assessments of the current state of the city, both physical and as relates to institutional management. It clearly stated the major role it believes City Hall plays in how effectively the council functions.
Delivering the team’s long-term plan to keep the city safe and clean, leader Mark Benschop spoke of creating sustainable communities through the implementation of a solid waste management plan. “We believe that if our communities are maintained on a consistent basis, they will become resilient to damage and disease caused by flooding and infectious outbreaks,” the manifesto stated.
In addition to waste management, available and functional street lights in every community, introducing child-friendly spaces and overseeing and improving city daycare management, and a campaign to control the stray animal population were also highlighted. The issue of neighbourhood security is to be addressed through the formation of partnerships with the municipal and central police to work to reduce criminal activity, domestic violence and juvenile delinquency.
Benschop also spoke on the issues of parking in the city and problems faced by vendors. To address the former, the team plans on introducing electronic parking meters and providing parking spaces in the city. As regards the latter, there is hope for the re-designing of markets so that they are consumer and vendor friendly and the enhancement of the shopping experience to increase revenue for vendors.
Salima Bacchus-Hinds, another member of Team Benschop, outlined the intended steps to the modernisation of services provided by the city. The aim of this, the manifesto states, is “the creation of faster, more efficient service delivery, as well as the creation of opportunities for employment and local innovation.”
These will be achieved by the introduction of an online system for rate payments and verification and the use of management information systems in local government offices.
Finally, in its quest for community development at the grassroots level, Team Benschop promises to invest in the empowerment of every citizen, especially those belonging to vulnerable groups. This, it hopes to achieve through the formation of youth clubs, focusing on sports to drive development, creation of awareness campaigns to educate the public about the functions of the council, engaging community members so they are involved in the decision-making process and establishing community offices so citizens will be better able to communicate their concerns to the council.
