The Rand West City Local Municipality (RWCLM) through Executive Mayor, Councillor Mzi Khumalo, switched on the last 108 units at the Madala Hostel in Mohlakeng on Friday, 24 November, marking an important milestone in the calendar of the municipal service’s delivery priorities.
“All the units in the hostel now have electricity meters and are expected to procure electricity like all law-abiding rate payers of Rand West City,” said Tshidiso Thlaripe, spokesperson for Mayor Khumalo.
“They celebrated this milestone as the community of Mohlakeng continued to say, ‘We are expected to buy electricity while residents of the hostel enjoy the services for free’,” Thlaripe explained.
According to the RWCLM there is now no reason for this allegation, and all who benefit from the electricity supply are expected to acquire it legally.
The focus of the municipality will now shift to reducing water losses in the hostel. “The water losses that occur in the hostel have a highly negative effect on the municipality’s revenue stream,” said Thlaripe.
“We are planning to install prepaid water meters across Rand West City, and intend using the hostel as a pilot for the project,” said Khumalo.
“Our last vision is to ensure that we rebuild the hostel and make it a habitable environment, ” he added. Mayor Khumalo went on to say that this will be attained through an ongoing engagement with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlement and National Department of Human Settlement.
“The conditions in the hostel are unbearable, and we have already started rebuilding,” he continued.
In closing, the Mayor said, “We celebrate this milestone and are hopeful that all illegal connections will be disconnected”.
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