Masango wants Premier to keep promises

HIGHVELD – Mr James Masango, DA Member of the Provincial Legislature, said residents from the Govan Mbeki municipal area continue to suffer despite Mr David Mabuza, Premier, making promises during the State of the Province Address on Friday, 28 February.

He said this during the first sitting of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature outreach in eMbalenhle on 4 March.

Mr Masango said Mr Mabuza announced that he had signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sasol on 15 October 2012 to invest a total of R200 million in the Govan Mbeki Municipality.

“The public-private partnership was supposed to aid major infrastructure developments, such as roads and storm water drains.

“The sad reality is that despite this MoU, the municipality is still in disarray.

“As we sit here today, raw sewage leaks into nearby water courses from the following reticulation plants: eMzinoni, Trichardt, Evander, Kinross and Leslie.

“Right behind where we are seated in eMbalenhle, raw sewage flows into a stream not far from here.”

Mr Mabuza said in his address relating to infrastructure development: “We are focusing on rejuvenating mining towns within the context of developing sustainable and integrated human settlements.

“We are already working with Sasol to rejuvenate Secunda and transform it into a smart city.

“The iKusasa Project has already set the ball rolling.

“We hope our partnership will strengthen this work going forward.

“As Government, we would like to thank Sasol for its intervention in eMbalenhle with regard to the sewer problem, including the housing project for the poor and many other developmental projects that are being rolled out under the iKusasa banner.”

Mr Masango said manholes are overflowing into the streets in communities all around the municipal area and has become so problematic that people no longer report it to the municipality, because the problem persists despite blockages being opened.

“This municipality’s failure to contain sewage leaks and instead let them contaminate valuable water sources is a direct infringement of the people’s right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being, as entrenched in Section 24 of the Constitution.”

Mr Henry Masango, head of Marketing and Communications of the municipality, said the benefits accrued from the partnership between Sasol and the provincial government are of such a major impact in the delivery of essential services to the community of the municipal area.

“Much needed investments were made in the replacement of the old municipal fleet and equipment, cleaning and beautification programme to enhance the aesthetical view of the town, building of sidewalks and erection of streetlight to improve road safety and security.

“Also, as part of the social labour plans, other major infrastructure development projects are in the pipeline for implementation.”

Mr Masango further said: “The ageing infrastructure remains the mainstay of apartheid legacy, which the democratic government will not be able to reverse overnight.

“However, a conscious plan of action for mass infrastructure upgrade is underway, with a dedicated municipal infrastructure grant to finance these important service delivery improvements.

“Also, other agencies of government and the private sector have been mobilised to assist local government in delivering bulk services.

“These corporate citizens have come to the fore to date, to ensure that the improvement in the quality of life of the citizenry is not the sole responsibility of government, but requires the collective efforts of all stakeholders.

“Thus any snide that is being made by the DA is just normal grandstanding without any empirical evidence.”

Sasol did not comment at the time of going to press.