WinRainbow residents slam poor service delivery in Polokwane

POLOKWANE – Residents from Westenburg, Nirvana, and Rainbow Park – collectively known as WinRainbow – have voiced growing concerns over what they describe as the continued deterioration of basic service delivery in their communities. They are calling on the Polokwane Municipality to urgently address their grievances ahead of Mayor John Mpe’s State of the City Address (Soca), expected early next month.

The Soca typically outlines the municipality’s performance, goals and priorities for the financial year. However, community members say they have little to celebrate unless there is meaningful change in how their needs are addressed.

Community leader Sarel Martin criticised the municipality’s sluggish response to service delivery issues.

“Feedback is often delayed, if there’s a response at all,” he said.

He expressed particular concern over the municipality’s handling of overgrown grass at the railway crossing, where residents are often targeted by criminals, especially during dark winter evenings.

“People are getting robbed there. It’s dangerous, and nothing is being done urgently.”

Other major concerns include widespread potholes, non-functional streetlights, and the high rate of joblessness, which residents say is fueling crime and drug abuse in the area. Martin further criticised the quality of work when issues are eventually addressed.

“Even when something is repaired after endless back-and-forth with the ward councillor and officials, the workmanship is poor. Potholes reappear, and the streetlights stop working again soon after.”

Another sore point is the poor quality of newly installed roofs. Residents who recently had asbestos roofing replaced report that many of the new installations began leaking within just two months of the rainy season earlier this year. Martin estimated that up to 80% of the affected households experienced similar issues.

The group also raised the long-standing issue of the extension 40 land allocations.

According to Martin, there has been no recent communication from the municipality despite a previous agreement to allocate stands to nearly 1 000 residents.

“Many of us are still living with our parents, crammed into small homes with our children. We can’t afford our own homes, and that land is our only hope,” said one affected resident.

Residents said that joblessness, particularly among the youth, is a root cause of many of the area’s problems. They urged the municipality to consider empowering young people through basic skills development and access to short-term job opportunities within the community.

The WinRainbow community says it wants to be included in the municipality’s roadmap to improved service delivery and expects the upcoming mayoral address to reflect real solutions and a commitment to change.

“We don’t just want promises. We want to see action, and we want to be part of the process,” Martin said.