Residents get a say in development meeting

The meeting was one of several public participation meetings to discuss the Mookgophong-Modimolle Municipality’s integrated development plan (IDP) with residents. The IDP is a five-year plan which municipalities are required to compile to determine the development needs of the municipality. The projects within the IDP are linked to the municipality’s budget. Both of these need to be approved by the council before the end of May.

Several officials, as well as the ward councilors for wards 11 and 12, Mokgadi Dayamani and Wiets Botes, and the mayor, Sechele Sebolai, attended the meeting on Tuesday 2 April. Often these meetings, though widely advertised, are only attended by a handful of residents.

Few new issues were raised, but the issues of not working street lights, potholes, the maintenance of the cemetery, the problems caused by the landfill site and delays on the opening of the new site, and trucks overnighting in town, were raised once again by residents.

Residents of the Bosveldsig Retirement Village said that they have been asking that streetlights be installed on Hans Campher Avenue for years. The roads in the complex also need to be resealed to avoid bigger and more expensive maintenance later on.

Mayor Sebolai addressed a range of issues. He said that about 30% of water pipes are still old asbestos pipes – these are the cause of frequent pipe bursts that cause the frustrating water shutdowns. The project to upgrade the pipeline and water purification plant from Donkerpoort Dam has been stalled as the contractor abandoned the project, Sebolai said. A new contractor is being appointed.

He said that township establishment is a priority as the town is in desperate need of land for middle-income as well as lower-income housing.

Residents also requested that abandoned houses belonging to the Department of Public Works be demolished. Sebolai said that they have contacted the department regarding these houses and requested that these premises be given to the municipality to alleviate the need for housing.

Sebolai said that the municipality have met with emerging farmers and urged them to ensure their livestock are not on the roads, for safety’s sake. The municipality will also continue to address trucks overnighting in the main street, as they are damaging the newly redone road surface.

“Often trucks bring other problems with them – and we do not want that in our town,” he said.

The final list of projects will be made available to residents.