By Emily Setona
QWAQWA – The new Free State MEC of Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Teboho Mokoena has stepped in to intervene in the troubled Maluti-a- Phofung (MAP) local municipality following residents protests over frequent power cuts and water shortages.
Mokoena went to the municipality on Monday July 01, 2024 to engage with its leadership in order to find a solution.
After meeting with the Maluti-a-Phofung coalition government known as troika, Mokoena revealed some of strategies and plans for solutions to be implemented by the municipality.
“As a department we are going to provide technical support to Maluti-a-Phofung to rectify many of the severe service delivery challenges that need to be fixed properly and stabilized.
“We have achieved political stability; we now need administrative stability inside this municipality so that service delivery can reach the residents of MAP.
“We are in the building phase for the improvement of service delivery for our people and we are willing to work with everyone, but we are also going to fight those who want to stand in the way of progress.”
FS COGTA MEC Teboho Mokoena during his visit at Maluti-a-Phofung local municipality.
Mokoena called for everyone to join in rebuilding of Maluti-a-Phofung by playing their part.
“I also urge residents to come to the party and start paying for services because there is no such thing as free electricity. Working people like me, such as teachers, the police, and people working for the private sector must pay for their services because the municipality needs this money to be able to deliver adequate services to the people.
“Municipal workers also need to do their jobs because not doing so will be infringing on the rights of residents. Naturally I am a very tolerant person, but when it comes to people who abuse the community my tolerance ends immediately because as government officials we cannot play with the lives of our people. In a week’s time we will be back to monitor if the new strategies and solutions we have discussed are being implemented or not.”
This visit from COGTA strongly indicates that the newly appointed executive mayor Malekula Melato and her team will receive adequate support from the provincial government and her municipality has been encouraged to fix the water and sanitation issues as well as to communicate with Eskom and the community about load reduction interruptions that happen so that people can be well informed well in advance.
Addressing members of the media at Maluti-a-Phofung local municipality, FS COGTA MEC Teboho Saki Mokoena.
“Uncompleted projects must also be monitored until completion so that the community of MAP can see real change when it comes to service delivery from their municipality.”
The MEC also made it clear that the department of COGTA will not sit on the mayor’s neck without also encouraging residents to pay for their services because, there must be unity between the municipality and residents so that the municipality can successfully provide adequate services to its people.
In response, Melato encouraged all councillors to improve communication with their constituencies.
One Response
Cutting electricity from 06:00 to 21:00 daily for the past few weeks or beyond that, or at times two (2) to three (3) days without power, is it part of the strategy?
Paying customers from various wards are affected by the cuts, what is the point of paying electricity if one would go days without electricity?
By cutting electricity, is it a strategy to force the community to accept the new meter box?
Meter box are genuinely to improve the service delivery or some comrade shandies?
Are the cuts benefiting the municipality financially? Is the municipality managing R7.6 billion debt to Eskom?