TCM acknowledges core issues plan in place to address them
After the recent violent strikes in town, Thaba Chweu Municipality (TCM) has formally acknowledged the problems at the root of the uproar.
SABIE – After the recent violent strikes in town, Thaba Chweu Municipality (TCM) has formally acknowledged the problems at the root of the uproar.
TCM said following the engagement with the community a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between itself and community representatives in the form of a Sabie Public Consultation Process (SPCP) to systematically address the identified issues. Mr Puleng Mapheto, communications manager at the municipality, said many of the identified issues in the MoU were addressed, but some were of long-term nature and needed planning and an implementation plan.
Mr Puleng Mapheto, communications manager at the municipality, said many of the identified issues in the MoU were addressed, but some were of long-term nature and needed planning and an implementation plan.
“On numerous occasions both the MEC for local government and executive mayor, Ms Selina Mashego, have engaged the community representatives to present the implementation plan to address the following two key issues which allegedly remain the reason for the continuing protests to, not only hopefully address these problems within reasonable time possible, but also to help bring stability in the area by stopping the strikes.”
Mapheto said as per the request by the community, Mashego presented a plan of action that will address the two identified key community issues namely land development (township establishment and housing) and the electrification of Nkanini informal settlements.
“The municipality has identified the remainder of portion 96 for township establishment and to address a planning specialist to deal with the process.”
He said the process of township establishment required active community involvement for planning with regard to important issues like the location of essential services including clinics, schools and recreational facilities, among others.
“The community must identify and allocate representatives from both Simile (Ward 6) and Harmony Hill (Ward 7) to from part of the municipality project team for the town-establishment project.
“The representatives will also be empowered to report back to the broader community on ongoing project progress. The municipality needs to start with the process of the identification of beneficiaries for the land and government houses.
This will identify immediate beneficiaries for government housing, but also identify beneficiaries who only need residential stands for building their own houses.”
This will identify immediate beneficiaries for government housing, but also identify beneficiaries who only need residential stands for building their own houses.”
This land-development project will immediately address the problem of informal settlements in town as affected families will be relocated to this identified established township.
Mapheto further said TCM’s aim was to resettle all informal settlements, and provide basic services like electricity, water and sanitation and roads.
“Throughout our engagements with the community of Nkanini it has indicated that it does not want to relocate. It also faces the challenge of illegal electricity connections. These are dangerous and pose a serious danger.
It also causes damage to the waterworks infrastructure that supply to the Simile area. After numerous engagements and consideration of the identified danger posed by these illegal connections, the municipality has approved a plan to formalise and electrify Nkanini settlement. “This will ensure that the municipality starts planning for the installation of other basic infrastructure services to the area in the form of water, sanitation and roads.
“The protests must stop as TCM has presented an implementation plan to address the identified community challenges, and feedback will be given to the community on agreed intervals.”
