HIBAPRESS – A. Muhayyawi
Who will rescue the city of Taounate from the cycle of marginalization? This question imposes itself with urgency, in light of a faltering developmental reality, a fragile infrastructure, and the absence of projects capable of lifting the city from a state of prolonged waiting.
Taounate, which abounds with important human and natural potentials, is still trapped by clear structural imbalances: dilapidated roads, limited public facilities, a weakness in job opportunities, and a decline in investment attractiveness. Despite the succession of elected councils, the citizen does not feel a real change that matches the promises that are raised in every electoral season. Local elected officials, who are supposed to be the voice of the population and the bearers of their concerns within the councils, often appear to be out of coverage. Some of them are preoccupied with status and positioning, more than with action and achievement. Years pass, and terms end, without a clear outcome or structured projects that justify the trust placed in them. In the midst of this reality, the Taounate street raises legitimate questions about the role of the regional authority in breaking the cycle of marginalization: Will the governor of the region save the city from its current situation? Will the city of Taounate benefit from the services of the Fes Urban Development Company, as is the case in other cities that have experienced remarkable urban and developmental dynamism? Questions that await practical answers on the ground, not statements or postponed promises. In contrast, the citizen remains the weakest link. He bears the results of failure, and pays the price of stumbling, as if – as they say – "eating the stick": no audible voice, no trace of his complaints, and no clear horizon that inspires hope. Promises are repeated, slogans change, but the reality remains the same. Saving Taounate from marginalization does not require resounding speeches, but a real political will, linking responsibility to accountability, activating the roles of elected councils as a force for proposal and implementation, not as a space for settling scores or seeking privileges. It also calls for a serious involvement of various actors, from local authorities and civil society, to put the city's interests above all else. Taounate does not need seasonal elected officials, but men and women who work in silence, who believe that the position is a mandate, not an honor, and that the years within the councils are not numbers to be counted, but responsibilities to be accounted for. Will we witness a conscience awakening before it's too late? Or will the bleeding continue, and the citizen alone will pay the price?
