Durban – Msunduzi municipality has continued with its public engagement on the public spaces and street naming process, explaining to locals the importance of naming the areas they live in.
During an engagement with Ward 38 residents this past weekend, City officials explained how having streets with names would enable them to access many services, including emergency help much easier as service providers would have a clear sense of direction.
The project, which is spearheaded by the Speaker’s and Chief Whip’s Offices, is aimed at ensuring that there is meaningful public participation and this past weekend it was the turn of Ward 38 residents to learn the importance of the public place and street naming process.
Municipality spokesperson Ntobeko Mkhize described the engagement which featured local councillor Goodman Dlamini and city officials as a success, pointing out that residents had been briefed on the significance of the project.
“The municipality outlined the advantages that will come with officially naming public places and streets in the ward including the improvement of service delivery considering that areas will be easily identified using the names that will be recorded in the municipality’s database,” said Mkhize.
She added that the municipality gives residents permission to name public places and streets after certain individuals to acknowledge them.
“However, no payment will be made to persons after whom the streets and public places will be named,” the spokesperson continued.
According to the municipality, families whose names will be used in the street naming process will be given consent forms. In addition to this, residents have an option to compile a list of names, hand it over to the ward councillor who will then present it to council and they will also have a 30-day window to object or approve proposed names.