LIMPOPO – A senior executive member of the Makhado Municipality has sparked frustration and confusion after apparently blocking a public road to build rental houses in Madombidzha.

The road, which connects Madombidzha Muromani to Maluta High School, had been earmarked for paving with a budget allocation of R300 000 in the municipality’s 2024/25 financial plan.

Councillor Jeaneth Matumba, head of corporate services, reportedly built structures on the access road without obtaining permission from the local traditional leader, chief Ntsundeni Sinthumule.

The incident has led to tension within the community, with residents accusing their local councillor of colluding with the traditional leader to obstruct development. In response, the community passed a vote of no confidence in her.

Adding to information, Matumba is said to have constructed a wall that encloses an electricity transformer within her property, preventing Eskom technicians from accessing it for maintenance.

Residents claim they had raised complaints with the traditional council, but that no action was taken.

Sinthumule confirmed that he is responsible for allocating land in the area and stated that Matumba had no legal claim to the property.

“Upon investigation, we found that this stand was not registered. All business stand numbers must be recorded with the Sinthumule Tribal Council,” he said.

Sinthumule further accused Matumba of illegally occupying the land and disregarding summonses to appear before the tribal council.

“I cannot stay silent when a councillor builds rental houses on a road designated for public use,” he added.

Makhado Sinthumule, chairperson of the Sinthumule Tribal Council, echoed these concerns, saying that Matumba had not been issued a permission-to-occupy (PTO) certificate.

“She is running a business on the premises, yet it is not registered with the tribal council. An investigation is underway to determine how she acquired the land,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Eskom’s Vhembe customer service manager, Ntshavheni Nenguda, confirmed that the company would dispatch a surveyor and technician to inspect the electricity connections and assess the site.

In response to the allegations, Matumba denied any wrongdoing, claiming she had followed the correct procedures and had paid the required nduvho (a customary fee) to the chief.

She insisted that Eskom had placed the transformer within her property and expressed the willingness to request its removal if it was causing issues for the community.

She also refuted claims that she ignored summonses from the tribal council, stating that she had visited their offices but was informed that no meetings were scheduled.

She did not provide a clear explanation for why she blocked a road that was set to be upgraded by the municipality she serves.