Oudtshoorn, January 24, 2017 – The introduction of a “Citizen Engagement Application” to the community and stakeholders of the Greater Oudtshoorn is set to take communication between the Municipality and the citizens to another level.
Oudtshoorn Municipal Manager, Allen Paulse announced on Monday, 23 January at a Special Council Meeting that Oudtshoorn has been chosen as one of the five Municipalities in the Western Cape to form part of the pilot rollout of the Municipal Citizen Engagement Application in the current financial year. Paulse added, “Of the five Municipalities, we have been fortunate to be selected to be the first to launch; most probably before end of March 2017.”
The Western Cape Department of Local Government (DLG) has appointed a service provider to develop and implement a “Citizen Engagement Application” for Municipalities across the Western Cape Province. The Service Provider will be responsible to design, develop and implement this standardized Citizen Engagement mobile application for Oudtshoorn Municipality.
The Executive Mayor, Aldm Colan Sylvester welcomed this new communication development. “Mobile devices such as cellphones and tablet computers are increasingly becoming the tools of choice for communication, engagement and transferring of information by Municipalities to its citizenry.”
Sylvester, who has recently opened his official facebook page called, “Colan Sylvester, Executive Mayor – Oudtshoorn”, believes that this new “App” will be beneficial to both the Municipality and the citizens of the Greater Oudtshoorn.
“This application will not only provide direct communication with both councillors and the municipality but will also serve as a platform through which citizens are able to interact with the Municipality for services and reporting of faults utilising the mobile platform.”
Given the number of mobile technologies (smartphones, tablets, mobile phones) available and the ease of access, people are becoming increasingly connected across the world. Governments worldwide are therefore following suit and adapting the ways in which they communicate with their clients and the communities they serve.
Oudtshoorn Municipality has also embraced this form of new media. The Municipality runs an interactive facebook page named, “Greater Oudtshoorn Municipality” / www.facebook.com/@Oudtmun with more than 4300 followers and has tweeted more than 1500 times on its twitter handle @Oudtmun.