After weeks of tension and frustration over poor service delivery, residents of Ward 8 and 9 finally received feedback from AbaQulusi Local Municipality during a follow-up meeting on Tuesday last week.

The meeting was hosted by Ward 9 Councillor Magda Viktor and came after the heated community session in September, where residents confronted Mayor Sifiso Mkhwanazi and accused the municipality of collapsing services, poor communication and inflated electricity bills.

At the first meeting, held on September 18, the mayor promised to return within 10 days with the relevant directors to respond to the issues raised. However, the follow-up meeting could not take place within that timeframe due to scheduling conflicts and delayed confirmation from key municipal officials. Cllr Viktor said it was important to ensure that the right officials, those directly responsible for service departments, were present to answer questions. “We didn’t want another meeting full of promises, without the people who can actually implement solutions,” she said.

When the municipality finally returned on October 14, residents were given detailed feedback from directors and managers representing several departments.

Municipality explains asphalt delays and paving upgrades

Director of Technical Services Nathi Mbongwa fielded the most questions as residents pressed him about potholes, power outages, broken streetlights and water supply issues. He explained that road repairs have been delayed because asphalt must be sourced from Piet Retief. “Teams have to cut and prepare enough potholes before the trucks collect the asphalt, which must arrive hot to be usable,” he said. “That’s why there are so many open squares around town; they’re being prepared for the next round of patching.”

He also revealed that when the municipality started with the pothole repairs, they were unexpectedly hit with another challenge. The Department of Transport, which qualifies roads used for driver’s licence testing, inspected one of the roads and disqualified it after finding it unsuitable. “That meant we had to refocus our efforts on repairing the driving test route first so that testing could continue,” Mbongwa said.

He added that intersections with heavy traffic will not be patched, but will instead be refurbished with paving, which he said is more durable and will hold up better under constant vehicle pressure.

Aged infrastructure, cable theft and vandalism blamed for frequent power cuts

Mbongwa confirmed that one transformer burnt out before his time at the municipality, but said that two transformers are currently operational, each providing 20 MVA. He said the municipality continues to battle ageing infrastructure, sabotage, vandalism and cable theft, which are the main culprits behind both water and power outages in town. “These issues are costly to repair and contribute to the high figures in the auditor-general’s report for unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure,” he noted. A security company has been appointed to patrol the substations to curb cable theft, vandalism and sabotage.

He also addressed the Zaailaagte power line, which has caused problems for years. “We have allocated R1.5 million towards rehabilitating the line itself and R2 million to install sectional breakers,” Mbongwa said, explaining that the upgrades are intended to improve reliability and reduce outages in the area.

Officials assure residents that local water meets Blue Drop safety standards

Regarding concerns about water quality, Mbongwa assured residents that the municipality does test the water regularly and they are compliant with both the Blue Drop and Green Drop assessments, which monitor the quality of drinking water and wastewater management. “I promise you, our water is safe to drink,” he said.

Bloemveld Dam Water Plant upgrade aims to improve long-term supply reliability

He added that there is a project in the pipeline to upgrade and upsize the Bloemveld Dam Water Plant, which he described as ‘the best-designed plant’ and one that should have been used to supply Vryheid in the first place. The upgrade is expected to improve the town’s long-term water reliability.

Municipality promises to revisit new electricity tariffs and levies

Addressing concerns about the electricity tariff increases and the new borehole levy, Mbongwa apologised to residents, acknowledging that there was insufficient public participation and communication before the changes were implemented. “We are going back to the drawing board,” he said. “We want to engage with the community to reach some kind of compromise regarding the tariffs.”

He added that the municipality is also considering how to handle amounts already paid under the new tariff and borehole levy. “Those payments will be reviewed as part of the process,” he said, assuring residents that no decision will be made without consultation. “We have failed; we need to do more and we have failed you as our customers.”

Tender for fibreglass lids and ongoing streetlight repairs improve safety in town

Mbongwa also confirmed that a tender will be advertised within the next week or two for fibreglass lids to cover open electrical boxes, which have raised safety concerns across town. He added that streetlight repairs are ongoing, with the cherry picker working in allocated areas each week, and said the municipality is preparing to roll out new smart meters to simplify electricity usage readings and billing.

AbaQulusi scores unqualified audit with findings, reflecting better financial compliance

The chief financial officer could not attend due to an emergency, but the Finance Department was represented by Mrs Tupper, who apologised to residents for the lack of public consultation about the new electricity tariffs. “We acknowledge that public participation did not happen as it should have,” she said. “We will revisit the tariffs and communicate them properly to the community. But to get tariffs lowered, it has to go to the High Court and we have sent a letter to our lawyers regarding that.”

Tupper said the increase was introduced because the municipality is struggling to keep up with Eskom payments. “There is a shortfall in revenue and that was the main reason for the tariff adjustment,” she explained, assuring residents that the department will engage further on the issue. Tupper also highlighted a positive note, confirming that AbaQulusi Municipality received an ‘unqualified audit with findings’ from the Auditor-General; a result she described as ‘a good score that reflects improved compliance and financial management, although there are still areas that need attention.’

Maintenance teams tackle overgrown areas and remind residents of monthly refuse bag allocation

Director of Community Services TS Mthembu addressed complaints about overgrown grass and poor maintenance, saying improvements are already underway. He reminded residents that each property is entitled to free refuse bags every month and encouraged people to contact him directly if services in his department fall short. “We will respond with action,” he said.

Corporate Services confirms all municipal employees meet qualification requirements

A few other concerns regarding qualifications within the municipality were addressed by Department of Corporate Services director Mr S Mhlongo, who confirmed that all employees have the necessary qualifications to perform their duties.

Although the follow-up meeting was calmer than the first, and residents welcomed the chance to get answers, many left the meeting still uncertain about when the promised changes will be visible on the ground. For Ward 9, and for the broader AbaQulusi area, the meeting was a step toward accountability, but the true test will be whether the municipality delivers on its word.

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The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.