Reneging contractors will be dealt with: CDM mayor

POLOKWANE – The newly-inaugurated Capricorn mayor, Gilbert Kganyago, says all contractors who left their projects incomplete must account for this action or face the music.

Kganyago was speaking shortly after his inauguration last Thursday. Kganyago said all service providers should honour their agreements with government. Those who left their projects incomplete should know that they were cheating the nation, he said. “There should be audits done on all the projects that are still incomplete,” he said.

“We will also pursue action against companies involved in bid rigging, price fixing and corruption in past and current infrastructure building programmes. Our responsibility ahead is to make this municipality account to our ordinary masses, as an accountable institution that will also bring a clean audit. It’s high time that our officials pull up their socks in moving forward faster to deliver services to our people,” he said.

He further said the water billing system that was causing such a furore in the district would be reviewed and rectified if necessary.

“We are going to monitor the billing system strictly. We are also going to make sure that communities get clean water. We don’t want to see them sha-ring water with animals in the dirty rivers. Our councillors should work hard in order to speed-up service delivery to the people,” he said.

He went on to say that the municipality would embark on civic education so that poor residents in the municipal area would know where they could get services.

“I want to give the people of Capricorn the assurance that we will not let up in our efforts to help create a better district through the building of better communities. None of us in this council underestimates the enormous developmental challenges facing this district – challenges that hinder good governance and service delivery. I want to give you the assurance that we are well aware of the issues that need to be addressed,” Kganyago stressed.

Municipal manager, Ngoako Molokone, said the municipality intended to install a pipeline from Nandoni dam in the Vhembe district to the dry municipality of Molemole. He said the project could cost R1 billion to complete. “Relying on boreholes can’t work. We have already conducted studies on how to get water from that dam. We want to make sure that the people of Molemole and Aganang get clean water. The only problem we are facing is the theft of water pumps and electricity transformers,” he said.

DA councillor David Setjie said they would support Kganyago and work with him in order to take the municipality to greater heights.

Cope councillor Mokgadi Raletjena said Kganyago should treat people as equals if he wanted to succeed. “Although there is cadre deployment in the ANC, we believe that they considered expertise when selecting Kganyago as the political head of the municipality. What we need now is service delivery,” Raletjena said.

Azapo councillor Mangong Makgoka said Kganyago’s tone was that of a socialist, but he should delivery services to the people.

ANC councillor Mokopane Matsaung said the organisation had no doubt that Kganyago would ensure service delivery to the people.

Kganyago’s mother, Mazitha, said she trusted that her son would be successful in his endeavours.

She said her son was a people’s person and he listened when others spoke.