Municipality ignoring its residents?

“The desperate attempts of the Potchefstroom and Ventersdorp community to reach out and communicate with senior managers at the J.B. Marks municipality are falling on deaf ears,” says Adélle Jerling, the chairperson of The J.B. Marks Consumer and Ratepayers’ Association (JBM-CRA).

The organisation was established during the lockdown in June 2020 to address different service delivery and other matters plaguing the municipality’s residents. The association is a non-racial, apolitical organisation that wants to protect and advance the interests of all the ratepayers, residents, and consumers of municipal services, as defined in the Constitution. Since June, many residents have joined the association because they felt the need to be represented by people who would take their interests to heart.  

When the Herald spoke to Jerling after the association was formed, she explicitly stated that the JBM-DRA does not intend to take over service delivery in the municipality because it would duplicate rates and taxes and service provision. “The association aims to act as a mouthpiece for members’ views to all relevant authorities to identify service delivery problems. It wants to interact with the local municipality and other local authorities to share information,” she said. She added that the association wants to work with local stakeholders and businesses, harnessing the residents’ expertise and experience within the greater municipal area to assist the municipality in rebuilding their failing service delivery.

The JBM-DRA had its first successful meeting on 23 September 2020 to address urgent service delivery matters in Potchefstroom and Ventersdorp. Stakeholders and interested parties were invited to the meeting, which was also shared via a virtual platform. During the session, valuable input was gained from stakeholders like the CID.

An executive committee of seven members was elected at the first meeting to address urgent service delivery matters in the towns. A representative sub-committee was also formed for the different areas in the greater J.B. Marks municipal area.

In October 2020, they wanted to arrange meetings with the administrator, Thupi Mokhatla; the head of Infrastructure, Jack Monnakgothu and Thomas Muswede, the head of the parks department. Only Muswede was willing to arrange a meeting and six members of the committee met with him to discuss matters on the agenda.

On 7 October, Jerling requested a meeting with the administrator to take hands with the residents of J.B. Marks. He agreed to engage. Soon afterward, she sent a WhatsApp to ask for his email address to send him documents.

On 24 October, she sent a WhatsApp again, mentioning that Mokhatla had not answered her email yet. She didn’t get a reply and, on 26 Oktober, she wrote: “Thupi, you’re not answering any of my questions. Should we, as the residents, then understand that even the administrator does not want to work with us?” Mokhatla’s answer was: “It’s hectic, very pressing issues I’m dealing with. I’m trying my best to listen to all stakeholders.” He later wrote, “I have never refused to meet with you guys, your turn will come …”, yet it never did.

When Jerling sent him a message on 24 November to schedule a meeting, she wrote the following: “The vice-chairperson has sent numerous emails to William Maphosa as directed. Nothing. We are just ignored.” Mokhatla replied: “The meeting time will come, let’s avoid saying things that will make our envisaged meetings not happen …”

In December, Jerling only communicated with Mokhatla on service delivery problems, but she was completely ignored when she wanted to schedule a meeting again in January. He never answered any of her messages.

The vice-chairperson of JBM-CRA, Friedemann Essrich, sent emails on 20 and 27 October as well as 2 and 12 November. He only received a read receipt from the spokes-person, William Maphosa. He continued to contact Infrastructure’s Monnakgothu afterward, in his personal capacity, without mentioning the JBM-CRA. According to him, he received “slightly better outcomes”.

On Monday, the Herald sent inquiries to Maphosa, Monnakgothu, and Mokhatla, the administrator, but had received no feedback by Wednesday. The Herald wanted to know if the municipality was willing to work with the representatives of the J.B. Marks Consumer and Ratepayers’ Association and, if not, why not. Queries about why Mokhatla and Monnagothu were unwilling to meet with the members of JBM-CRA formally were also sent.

The JBM-CRA has been involved in several interactions in the J.B. Marks Municipality, like the Mooi River’s sewage spillage and serious spills in Extension 9 and Kanana, Ikageng. They have also assisted residents of Potchefstroom in addressing problems with the fibre trenching.

Jerling says they have been meeting with local business people and other stakeholders and have built good working relationships. “We are still dedicated to positive communication, should the municipality be willing to come to the table”.