Limpopo premier warns officials to do their jobs or there will be consequences

Limpopo premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has given the mayor of the Mopani district municipality, Pule Shayi, and public works and infrastructure MEC Tonny Rachoene an ultimatum to deliver on promises they made to communities before the recent general election, or face reshuffling or worse, expulsion.

Ramathuba told Shayi to ensure that the phase 1 reticulation water project in Giyani was complete before the start of October this year.

“We were here weeks before elections. We promised you there will be clean water reticulated in your yards, streets and your communities. Now we are here again.

“Our principal reason for our visit is to ensure water is coming out of your taps,” she said.

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No more lies

Ramathuba was speaking during the Dikgerekgere Wednesday service provision programme at Maphata village in the Norman Mashabane region on Tuesday.

“Former minister Senzo Mchunu, who is now police minister, confirmed the reticulation project was progressing. Now, according to reports, he was right. Do you agree?” Ramathuba asked the audience.

She said if Rachoene did not pull up his socks, he would be reshuffled without delay.

“We are tired of living a lie and so are our people. When you lie, you lose dignity and trust from your people. This can result in community uprisings and instability in the region and the province,” she said.

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Ramathuba called on the Roads Agency Limpopo, a parastatal responsible for the construction of roads under the department of public works in Limpopo, to refrain from making empty promises to communities.

“When you make promises to communities to build them a road, you must ensure there is a budget to bankroll such a project.”

The premier warned service providers: “If you are a service provider and you are stalling, we are going to blacklist you and ensure you don’t get a tender any-where in the province and elsewhere.

“I am not here to make friends, but to deliver basic services to the people of Limpopo, who voted me into power. They expect me to change their lives, that of their families, their communities, the region, the province and the country at large,” she said.

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