Residents of Mabalastad were given direct access to a range of government services and information on Tuesday as the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), in partnership with Moses Kotane Local Municipality and other government departments and stakeholders, hosted a Community Outreach Programme in the area.
The programme, held on September 22, was aimed at bringing government services closer to residents and improving access to information and assistance, according to Moses Kotane Local Municipality.
Community members received assistance with social grant applications and were able to engage with representatives from various government departments and participating organisations.
The municipality used the outreach programme to provide information about its indigent programme, which assists qualifying residents with municipal services.
The municipality’s Call Centre also explained how residents can report service delivery problems, including water leaks, damaged roads and faulty street and high mast lights.
Moses Kotane Local Municipality said the programme provided an opportunity for residents to raise service related concerns and learn about the channels available to them for reporting municipal problems.
A number of other institutions participated in the outreach programme, including the Department of Social Development, Bojanala District Municipality Fire Department, South African Police Service, Standard Bank, Old Mutual, the Office of the Premier, The Aurum Institute and the Department of Employment and Labour.
The initiative formed part of efforts by government institutions and their partners to improve access to public services, particularly for communities that may face difficulties travelling to government offices to obtain assistance.
By bringing different service providers together at a community level programme, residents were able to access information and assistance from several institutions in one place.