 | Make your voice heard at this year’s IDP Open Days
28 March 2025 | Press Releases |
27 March 2025
Those working in a municipal environment will be all too familiar with the abbreviation “IDP” – short for Integrated Development Plan – being wedged into many work conversations and emails. But for others, IDP might as well be a new slang word invented by millennials or Gen Zers.
So, let us unpack why integrated development planning can be described as a municipality’s blueprint for action or business plan, and how Drakenstein’s residents can make their voices heard and get involved in this planning process.
In terms of the Municipal Systems Act (No. 32 of 2000), all municipalities are legally mandated to create an IDP – a strategic five-year plan which specifies the development needs of the applicable municipal area. In short, an IDP helps a municipality to focus on the most important service needs of its communities, all while carefully considering the financial resources at the municipality’s disposal.
And what better way to identify local service needs than to consult residents directly? At Drakenstein Municipality, integrated development planning is a collaborative approach aimed at involving its communities to find the best solutions towards sustainable development.
The Municipality encourages its residents to make their voices heard in the Draft IDP and Budget public engagement process, which commences on 31 March 2025 and will conclude on 16 April 2025. Several IDP Open Days are being hosted across all 33 wards in the Drakenstein municipal area. These sessions afford the people of Drakenstein the opportunity to give their input on service delivery issues in their respective wards.
Communities will also have the opportunity to give feedback on the Municipality's Draft Spatial Development Framework (SDF), which is a spatial representation of the needs and proposals that have been identified in the IDP.
When these engagements are concluded, the public’s comments will be taken into consideration and incorporated into the final IDP, Budget, and SDF, which will be tabled to the Drakenstein Municipal Council at the end of May 2025. Once approved by Council, all development and projects for the next five years must comply with the stipulations of the plan.
If you have any comments, questions or concerns, join us at an Open Day in your area and make your voice heard. For dates, times and venues, click here.
The Draft IDP can be viewed here, the Draft Budget here, and the Draft SDF here. (Please note that the Draft IDP and Draft Budget will be available at these links following the Council meeting on Friday, 28 March 2025.)
Apart from attending the Open Days, community members can also provide their input via email to idp@drakenstein.gov.za, or write to the Office of the City Manager, Paarl Civic Centre, Berg River Boulevard, PO Box 1, Paarl, 7622. Comments must reach the Municipality by no later than 30 April 2025.
Comments on the Draft SDF must be submitted in writing to the City Manager, Drakenstein Municipality, PO Box 1, Paarl, 7622, or customercare@drakenstein.gov.za, by no later than 5 May 2025.
No late comments will be considered.
The Municipality would love to hear community members’ thoughts on how it can make Drakenstein a better place to live, work and play in, and further grow its city of excellence.
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Issued by: Communication and Marketing, Drakenstein Municipality
