By Emily Setona
QWAQWA – Frustration over failing services, weak revenue collection and exclusion from planning dominated a heated Maluti-a-Phofung (MAP) IDP and budget meeting in Phuthaditjhaba on 29 April.
Residents, ward leaders and officials clashed over basic needs — from roads and clinics to billing and governance — exposing deep cracks between community expectations and municipal delivery.
MMC for Water and Sanitation Neo Motaung pushed back, insisting residents must pay:
“The community must pay the flat rate,” he said, calling for stricter compliance and stronger leadership.
But communities fired back with urgent demands.
Ward 29’s Kgopolo Sewa called for a clinic in Botjhabela, while Ward 33’s Dibokhanyo Mofokeng said Mandela Park has been sidelined entirely.
“Mandela Park — where does it fall? Ward 33 does not appear. We are not in the budget or IDP,” he said.
He listed critical gaps: no paved roads, clinics or schools — and growing anger over neglect.
Mofokeng also turned inward, urging accountability: “We must mature and pay for electricity,” he said, calling for audits and tighter oversight in communities.
Ward 27’s Monyane Mokoena pointed to a breakdown in governance: “There is no regulation and control. Even those who can afford do not pay.”
MMC for Corporate Services Mamorena Bohlale clarified limits, saying clinics fall under provincial government, not the municipality.
“Our role is basic services and creating an environment for business,” she said, adding councillors are legally required to hold quarterly meetings — though frequency varies.
Chief Whip Moeketsi Lebesa admitted enforcement is weak: “Bylaws exist, but there are not enough officials to enforce them.”
He proposed a municipal “war room” to respond rapidly to crises.
“A space where we act immediately when problems arise,” he said.
Lebesa also laid bare the financial crisis: “MAP depends on grants. Revenue collection is almost non-existent.”
The meeting underscored a stark reality — rising community demands, collapsing payment culture and a municipality struggling to keep up.
