Nkomazi Local Municipality asked to step up in Komatipoort

According to the Komatipoort Business Chamber (KBC), by April 22 a section of Komatipoort, more particularly the Engen filling station and KFC business site, was without electricity for more than seven days. The owners, who had invested more than R50m to create this facility, had to run their business using generators, which was an expensive exercise.

“Losses like these triggered a proper look at the integrated development planning (IDP) and what provision the municipality has made to ensure this tax-paying, revenue-earning town, Komatipoort, enjoys favourable attention over the next three years. The chamber is aware emergency funds had to be unlocked and items procured, yet a taxpayer may expect better performance. It took the municipality more than five days to affect a proper repair,” said Jan Engelbrecht of the KBC.

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“The chamber was left in shock when the draft IDP said nothing about Komatipoort’s infrastructural demands. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) entered the scene after the chamber had requested its intervention in 2021, and tarred some roads from the emergency budget it could access. Unfortunately, Wildebeest Street has not yet been addressed by Cogta.

“The commitment from the municipality was to finish the remainder of streets and present a three-year plan to the chamber on which streets will be fixed. This was expressly requested by the chamber. Yet the IDP is silent about that and the chamber’s letter to this end remains unanswered.”

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In a letter to the municipality, sent on May 5, the chamber expressed its concern that the principles of proper budgeting were not adhered to by the municipality, and demanded that the municipality recognises the town’s needs. The chamber called upon the municipality to present information to the town about Komatipoort’s revenue generation. The chamber expressed its concern about lack of proper communication between the layers of municipal engagements and the apparent silo management by departments, crippling service delivery.

The chamber suggested that the municipality provide better security to the key points in the town or grant the chamber the opportunity to provide the same from the private sector. “The losses businesses and residents suffer exceed this small expense by far,” said Engelbrecht.

The local municipality has been contacted by the busienss chamber numerous times but has not received any feedback. Corridor Gazette requested information regarding the Komatipoort communities’ concerns and chamber’s demands for clarity, but has not received any reply.

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