In addressing those present, Mamanyoha highlighted the importance of paying rates and taxes, and how important the issue is in improving services. “When you move out of the rural area into a town, you should realise that you don’t just move to town and not pay rates and taxes. If you want clean services, you are required to pay for them. Without that, the municipality’s hands are tied.” He said residents often opt to protest over less important matters. “If you think that our property valuations are high, you must go to the villages. You cannot expect a house in Modjadjiskloof to cost around R100 000 or R300 000.

If you have a problem with that, you must come to the municipality.” In voicing their dissatisfaction, residents raised several issues during the meeting. One resident, who lives in Mokgoba cited a sewage problem. “We have to walk through sewage everywhere we walk. I have been hearing about funds and budgets, but nowhere did someone touch on the issue of sewage in our streets,” he said. Another resident shared these sentiments, saying it has been years that this has been the case. The issue of housing was also raised. “When the mayor addressed us last year, he said there are unoccupied houses that people have been buying. We want to know who those houses belong to.

Also read: Potholes in Tzaneen marked as belonging to the ANC

I support what the mayor said, but he’s not the first mayor to say this. I’ve been promised a house by the municipality, and every time, I’m told there’s no space to put me on the list. This is the fourth mayor with the same response. I want to know what is going on,” one resident lamented. He too raised the issue of sewage, saying his family has to eat while watching sewage running through their yard. Another resident raised the matter of rates and taxes.

“If we don’t pay, we get letters, and we do go to the municipality to ask about services, we also don’t receive any services. We are tired of empty promises,” he said. Matome Senyolo, another resident, says the provision of water is at the top of his priority list. “I have been in the town for many years, and for all these years we have been told that the water problem will be fixed, but nothing is done. I thought since the district municipality is here now, they will address it, but little seems to have been done.” He too, cited running sewage as a problem that should be prioritised in terms of immediate solutions.