The DA within the Victor Khanye Local Municipality (VKLM) will once again submit a motion in terms of Section 51 of the rules of the Order of Council.
“Service delivery in VKLM is non-existent and the municipal manager needs to be held accountable,” said Diane Bath, DA-caucus leader within VKLM, in a media statement on Wednesday, September 7.
According to Bath, non-functional streetlights, potholes, ungraded roads, sewage leaks and ongoing water interruptions are at the order of the day.
“The municipality’s manager and his directors are daily informed of these issues, but the pleas fall on deaf ears.
“We will therefore put pressure on the municipal manager, Thabo Mashabelo, to rectify the current service delivery crisis.”
According to a summary of the budget, the operating budget was approved at R552.9 million, municipal infrastructure at almost R28m, district funding at R90m, the water service infrastructure grant was set at R20m and VKLM’s own contribution of R4.1m part of the operating funding.
Bath further stated that at the beginning of the 2022/2023 financial year on July 1, with its increase in tariffs, residents within the small growing town of VKLM are yet to receive value for their money.
“The municipality is failing its residents dismally,” Bath added.
The DA finds it contradicting that on Saturday, September 3, the ANC President, Cyril Ramaphosa visited the Botleng Township as part of the party’s Letsema service delivery.
“The president was captured in an attempt to fill a pothole in Botleng, something his own ANC municipality is failing to do.”
Bath further added that on the other hand, the MEC for Public Works and Transport, Mohita Latchminarain, arrived in Delmas with her team to fill potholes just before the President’s visit.
“It was, however, municipal roads which had potholes filled.”
That while some provincial roads in VKLM have been neglected for far too long, including the D840, PWV19, D840, K151 (R50), D1550, D1255, D2285 and the P29-1.
“The municipality has also failed to attend to the ongoing issue of illegal businesses, hawkers and illegal posters covering traffic signs.
“Municipal officials must do their work and if not, there must be consequences.”
