ORANJEVILLE – The proposed demarcation of Heilbron into Metsimaholo Local Municipality caused an uproar during a special council sitting and was strongly opposed by EFF, DA, and Freedom Font Plus, among other opposition parties.
Councillors submitted their substantial grounds for their rejection of this proposed consolidation, claiming it would affect the municipality’s ‘little’ service delivery.
On Wednesday, February 14, a special council meeting was convened at Oranjeville to debate the proposed measure.
The council witnessed 17 councillors voting against the proposed process, while African National Congress councillors were among 16 officials who sturdily supported the notion.
Opening the arguments during the council sitting, Democratic Alliance’s caucus leader, Thulani Mbana questioned the competencies of service delivery to Heilbron.
“If we agree on the incorporation, how are we going to be able to service the people of Heilbron with services as we battle to deliver services to communities already under Metsimaholo? We are battling with a fleet headache for close central officers, what is going to happen with Heilbron?” he asked.
“We have seen the very same thing happen in Mangaung and it ended in disaster. “We are being blindfolded to take a decision that will later haunt us. The little resources will be shared among too many wards and that won’t be fair for the people of Metsimaholo,” he said.
Metsimaholo Civic Association (MCA) Dotlhare Mofokeng seconded the decision to reject the demarcation.
“Bringing another area that won’t pay services will bring crisis for us. The community is already used to not paying for services. We are under pressure as the municipality and we don’t feel comfortable in bringing Heildbron to us. We are rejecting the motion to demarcate,” she said.
EFF’s Selloane Motjeane said “It’s very sad that we are misled by political fights to debate this matter. Bringing Heilbron to us will bring problems. We wait for three hours for fire engines to attend to our people in close by areas, when will fire engines get to Heilbron? There are other issues we won’t even have to debate when it comes to this decision. Heilbron will be a burden for us, we reject demarcation as EFF,” she said.
ANC’s Mosiuoa Poho said “As the ANC we not playing politics, those are our people, let them be welcomed. Emfuleni Local Municipality did the same with Three Rivers to be demarcated into Midvaal, but when we want to do the same, we are being fought. Let our people come home,” he said.
