Mathabatha must ‘come clean’ and tell people of Limpopo ‘he has failed’

Proper roads, water provision and job creation top the list of what the people of Limpopo expect premier Stanley Mathabatha to tackle in his State of the Province Address (Sopa) today, according to a random survey.

The address is believed by many people to be his last Sopa since his appointment as the province’s premier in 2013.

“Mathabatha failed to adequately deliver clean running water to most villages in Limpopo,” Kagiso Sekokotla of Lephepane village, outside Tzaneen, said on Tuesday.

Mathabatha ‘failed’

Sekokotla said the R4.5 billion Giyani bulk water project, the R1.2 billion Groblersdal Moutse bulk water project and the construction of Nwamitwa Dam, which he said the premier promised to build in conjunction with the department of water and sanitation, where some of the water projects Mathabatha failed to deliver.

“I therefore expect Mathabatha to come clean during Sopa and tell the people of Limpopo that he has failed,” said Sekokotla.

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Mpho Khepekana Rakgolela of Rwanda village in Nwamitwa, outside Letsitele, said: “Limpopo is currently standing with 49.9% unemployment. The province’s official year-on-year unemployment rate increased from 21.9% to 30.4%.

“At 49.9%, Limpopo now has the third-highest expanded unemployment rate after the Eastern Cape. We expected Mathabatha’s government to create more jobs for locals, especially now that Covid infections are low.”

Rakgolela said youths were the majority of those unemployed in Limpopo.

“What Mathabatha managed to do best in his tenure is that the province is stable and its financial woes are a thing of the past,” he said.

Damaged R25 road must be fixed

Nixon Mathabathe, of Ntoane in the Sekhukhune region, near Dennilton, expected Mathabatha to instruct the provincial Treasury to release funds to rehabilitate the severely damaged R25 road that connects the three provinces of Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng with OR Tambo International Airport.

The road, according to Mathabathe, is used extensively by heavy trucks from the mining areas of Burgersfort carrying minerals from the mines to Johannesburg.

But despite being essential for the province’s economy, Mathabathe said the road has huge potholes that often become the reason for the many fatal accidents that take place almost every weekend.

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“I am humbly asking the premier to instruct Treasury MEC Seaparo Sekoati to make funds available to rehabilitate the road,” said Mathabathe.

Mashudu Mudau of Sibasa, outside Thohoyandou, said: “What I would really expect Mathabatha to address during this Sopa is how does he plan to bring Limpopo out of the woods that were created by Covid, load shedding and the recent floods which damaged roads and buildings.

“I would also expect the premier to give a detailed information as to how is the Makhado Musina special economic zone doing in its plan to create jobs for the people of Limpopo,” said Mudau.

Improved Grade 12 results

Limpopo provincial government spokesperson Ndavhe Ramakuela said Mathabatha would use the Sopa to give feedback on the progress made in the past few years of his administration.

“He is likely to put emphasis on how the provincial government and municipalities have improved governance, especially in its response to increased improved audit outcomes.

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“Another highlight would be the improved Grade 12 results.

“Similarly, he will look into matters of energy in line with what the president has outlined and how Limpopo will respond to it.

“Road infrastructure is going to feature, with focus on support for interventions on water,” added Ramakuela.

– news@citizen.co.za