THE Kouga Municipality has officially launched the popular messenger, WhatsApp, as a service delivery engagement platform for rate payers.
The aim of the WhatsApp platform is to ensure that residents have an alternative platform to report faults and send service delivery requests.
Kouga Municipality Mayor, Horatio Hendricks, said that the Kouga Municipality Call Centre saw a need and responded to it by implementing a messaging-based platform for rate payers to use.
“WhatsApp has transformed how people interact. It is a key tool towards a reliable and responsive municipality which allows us to put the residents at the centre of all municipal activities,” he said.
“We cannot deny the fact that with the advancement of cellphones and technology, almost all households have a WhatsApp enabled device which will provide residents, even without airtime, a platform to report faults or send service delivery requests.”
The rules of engagement for the WhatsApp platform include that no advertising or chain links or messages are to be sent to the WhatsApp number and only service delivery related matters are to be reported.
These include, but are not limited to, blocked drains, street lights, electrical and water outages, burst pipes, account balance enquiries and bylaw offences.
“Please put as much detail as possible on the message so that the Call Centre can attend to the matter as efficiently as possible,” said Hendricks.
The Kouga Municipality Call Centre WhatsApp number is: 081 760 9183.
Issued by Kouga Municipality
