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The Matatiele Local Municipality has concluded its 2026/2027 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) Community Outreach Programme, which ran from 20 to 22 October 2025 across all 27 wards. The three-day engagement saw residents explained urgent priorities — including roads, water, electricity, housing, and youth empowerment to guide the municipality’s upcoming development agenda.
What Happened
Over the outreach period, municipal leaders, councillors, and government departments met face-to-face with residents to collect input for the 2026/2027 IDP.
Communities used the platform to address local service delivery gaps and to shape projects aimed at boosting infrastructure, employment, and economic growth.
According to officials, the outreach celebrates the start of a detailed planning and budget alignment phase that will run until March 2026. This process will ensure that community priorities influence funding decisions across local, provincial, and national levels of government.
“We’ve had a powerful week of public participation and teamwork,” municipal officials said in a statement. “Together, we’re building an inclusive and developmental Matatiele.”
Official Response
The municipality confirmed that the outcomes from all 27 wards will feed into the draft service delivery and budget plans for the 2026/2027 financial year.
These draft plans are expected to be presented to communities in April 2026 during the Budget Outreach sessions.
The municipality further emphasized that the IDP serves as a roadmap for local development, aligning infrastructure priorities with available resources from the three spheres of government.
Municipal spokespersons noted that residents’ feedback on basic services and economic opportunities will directly shape the next cycle of implementation.
Community Impact
Local residents welcomed the outreach as an important platform for accountability and progress.
Many participants voiced optimism that issues such as pothole repairs, water access, and housing will receive greater attention in the upcoming financial year.
The IDP process also supports broader programs, including SASSA social services, NSFAS education funding, and UIF-linked employment initiatives, which together strengthen community resilience.
As planning continues, officials urge residents to stay engaged through ward offices and public consultations leading up to the April 2026 Budget Outreach.
