By Emily Setona
HARRISMITH – Municipality workers in Harrismith joined the executive mayor of Maluti-a-Phofung (MAP) local municipality when she launched her cleanup campaign that also included the filling of potholes and marking of the road in Harrismith town.
According to MAP executive mayor Malekula Melato the launch of this cleanup campaign in Harrismith on 27 August forms part of her 100 days program and she believes that by joining hands with the community the municipality can achieve more to bring adequate service delivery to the community of MAP.
“Today is what I call a service delivery pilgrimage. I did say before that I will come to Harrismith, and here we are today. This cleanup campaign we are now doing in Wilgepark will also reach the communities of Intabazwe and Khalanyoni. We have a project of fixing potholes and marking the roads with the proper road markings. What is happening today is part of the 100 days program and I am sure that residents can see the work that is being done. I was also very happy to see a local businessperson lend a helping hand and as I always say, together we can do more, that is why we are working with different stakeholders” Melato said in an interview with the media.
In an interview with this publication, community activist and businessman Thesho Twala said the following, “I came here as a community activist, and I can honestly say that the work done here today is good but not solving the problems we are facing. The was no proper briefing in the morning of what is going to happen. Municipality employees were supposed to lead us instead they are demoralized.
MAP executive mayor Malekula Melato painting road markings in Harrismith town.
“Managers were supposed to give briefing what are the root causes for our service delivery problems and what they suggest needs to be done to address these issues. I also believe that the community was supposed to be properly engaged so that we could share our views. The Wilgepark community have done wonderful work by keeping and collecting their own garbage but how are we going to assist them going forward to keep that area clean forever.”
The superintendent in the waste department Mandlampisi Tshabalala in the electricity and infrastructure department under the leadership of MMC Ditaba Nhlapo said that this program that the executive mayor has embarked on has given their department the opportunity to lend a helping hand.
“We need to make sure that we clean the sides of our roads and clear dumping sites because we have a deadlock of waste that the municipality has been struggling to collect and as we have started here in Wilgepark and in town, I’d like to say that during the course of the week we are going to clear dumping sites in our locations as well,” Tshabalala said.
