Vhembe reveals its five year plan of action

COMMUNITIES around the Vhembe region were urged to participate in and take the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) seriously.

This was the plea of the acting Vhembe mayor, Lucas Manyuha during the district’s IDP review and budget public hearing in Tshilamba community hall last Tuesday.

“We are here to meet with representatives of various structures in an endeavour to inform communities on our five-year plan of development. We urge them to advise us on development projects affecting them. We want to fast-track the delivery of services to communities,” said Manyuha.

He announced that more than R1,4 billion was set aside this financial year to help with the delivery of services in the district.

The Vhembe District Municipality held week-long public hearings with various municipalities last week in Mutale, Musina, Makhado and Thulamela.

“We are a water services authority and we are looking at the backlog of water and sanitation. We have set aside more than R600 million this financial year. We will also deal harshly with defaulters as soon as the bylaws are effective in July,” he said.

According to Manyuha, communities should preserve water as Vhembe was a water-scarce district.

He said in an effort to help fight the scarcity of water in some communities, they would install water taps in affected areas.

One of the residents who attended the public hearing, Thivhulawi Munyai from Mutshilundi in Ha-Tshikundamalema said she was worried about the lack of better services in her area.

“In our village, some of the bricks meant to build RDP houses were delivered two years ago, but no houses have been built. We hope the visit by the municipality will help to solve most of our problems affecting service delivery,” said Munyai.