LIMPOPO – Once known as one of the cleanest towns in the country, Modjadjiskloof has seen a sharp decline in its appearance and infrastructure.

According to the Greater Letaba Municipality (GLM) DA Cllr Matome Serumula, the town’s current state is “gloomy and riddled,” attributing the decline to a lack of effective service delivery and an uninterested political leadership.

“The town was once the pride of its kind with great infrastructure, but now it is a shadow of its former glory,” Serumula said. “The streets are poorly maintained, electricity cuts are frequent, and there is a general absence of municipal leadership. The current administration shows no interest in addressing the continuous complaints of residents, and there is no meaningful communication or accountability.”

Serumula pointed to specific areas in Modjadjiskloof that have suffered from neglect, such as Memphisto Drive, where residents have had to endure long overgrown grass and malfunctioning street lights for months. He added that the lack of street lighting has contributed to a rise in crime, with house burglaries becoming a daily occurrence.

“The residents of Memphisto Drive are living in conditions where the streets are dark, and crime is escalating,” he explained. “The lights have not worked for years, and nothing is being done about it. The situation at Rotaba Cottages is similarly alarming. The facility for the elderly is surrounded by thick, unmanaged bushes.”

Serumula also criticised the municipal technical team, accusing them of being unresponsive to urgent calls and claiming the director for environmental services has been consistently unavailable to resolve these issues.

In response, GLM spokesperson Lovers Maenetja said that claims of inadequate service delivery in Modjadjiskloof are misleading.

“It is incorrect to assume that there has been no service or improvement in the town,” Maenetja said. “We are proud of the progress we’ve made in rehabilitating streets, revamping electricity infrastructure, and improving stormwater channels. In the past year alone, streets such as Peterson Street, Mabel Street, and Panorama have undergone significant upgrades. The municipality has invested millions to maintain and enhance the infrastructure, and ongoing projects.”

Regarding the electricity supply, Maenetja explained that the municipality had spent R18m between 2016 and 2019 on infrastructure upgrades to address the town’s aging electrical systems.

She added that routine maintenance was ongoing, with recent projects focussing on replacing overhead low voltage networks and refurbishing high-tension cables.

“While nature and wear on infrastructure cannot be avoided, accusations that the municipality does not care are unfounded,” she said. “As a small municipality with many rural villages, we must balance service delivery across all 30 wards, including Modjadjiskloof.”

Maenetja assured residents that the municipality is taking steps to address the overgrown vegetation and streetlight issues.

“We are about to launch a debushing project to manage overgrown grass across all 30 wards, including Modjadjiskloof,” she confirmed. “The recent rains have contributed to the overgrowth, but plans are in place to maintain a balance between greenery and habitation. We will also be addressing the streetlight and Rotaba Cottages concerns soon.”