Picture: FILE

Starting Monday, the Dispatch will set off across the Eastern Cape for three weeks to meet  readers in towns big and small to  listen to the voices of our people  ahead of local government elections.
“I am Eastern Cape” is part adventure, part documentary as we set out in teams to gauge the mood of our province and listen to your expectations for the future. We do this against the back drop of the municipal elections on May 18. Understandably, service delivery will be high on most agendas.

What we want to know from you is how you feel about our new country 17 years after the first democratic elections.

Tell us about your hopes, your fears, where you think we might have gone wrong, or right, as a  nation, what government has  done well, and where it has failed  you. Ultimately, it is your conversation and you dictate the agenda.

For the first five days our road trip will take in Fort Beaufort,  Adelaide, Bedford, Pearston,  Graaff-Reinet, Middleburg and  Cradock. Along the way we’ll stay over in lodges and hotels,  but if you want us to share a  night with you to shoot the  breeze, then let us know.

If you have a society or club that wants to talk about a particular issue, invite us around.

As long as our vehicle can get there, we will endeavour to honour each invitation that we receive.

If we cannot make it, though, you will have an opportunity to have your say on a special microblog we’ve set up, linked to the Dispatch website. There, you can post comments or start a discussion.

Crucially, you will be able to follow the progress of our teams and read all about their amazing  adventures, made truly memorable by you.

The site will contain a map charting the route so you’ll know beforehand where we’ll be and  roughly when we are likely to  arrive in your neighbourhood.

Contact details on the website will give you the opportunity to interact directly with the teams.

Each team will consist of a reporter and photographer who will stay on the road for five days  at a time before handing over to  the next pair.

Daily reports will appear on the website and in the print edition of the Daily Dispatch.

The success of this road trip depends on you and we can only tell the story of the Eastern Cape through your words.

And in this way, you can tell the leaders of our municipalities and districts about the issues that really matter.