Segment 5: For the People?
The gap between communities and the decision-making process of governments can often seem large. This segment shows how PAIA can help close that gap by giving communities access to decisions made by government and the reasons for those decisions. In 2002 the residents of Thembelihle, an informal settlement, defeated attempts by government to remove them from their homes. Community members then began campaining for better service delivery iin their area, particularly in the area of housing. In 2010 residents of Thembilihle learned through the media that a housing development was being built nearby. There were rumours that members of the Thembelihle community would benefit from the development but government had not talked to the community about this. The community wanted information on the number of people from Thembelihle that would benefit. With the help of SAHA, the residents of Thembelihle made a successful request to the Johannesburg City Government for information on the new development.
To see how you can utilise this segment in your training, download the PAIA DVD Guide.