Residents say Council is lying
Sakhisizwe Villagers said they have been abandoned and rejected by the Govan Mbeki Municipality.
EVANDER – Mr Bheki Kubheka, acting head of marketing and communication of the Govan Mbeki Municipality, said residents must be careful of not falling into the trap of abuse of scoring political points by political parties who camouflage their campaigns through service delivery protests.
This came after Sakhisizwe villagers said regardless of their numerous attempts to engage with Council, including protesting, they are ignored.
The villagers embarked on a service delivery strike with the Economic Freedom Fighters in September.
Since then the municipality has not yet responded to their memorandum.
Due to the non response, the villagers claimed they have been neglected and rejected by the council.
They said they are living in horrid conditions and desperately need the municipality’s attention.
However Mr Kubheka denied the allegation that the council has abandoned the community of Sakhisizwe.
He said the municipality has not yet responded to the memorandum, because they are investigating the memorandum that was a copy of another one submitted by the EFF in eMbalenhle.
“We observed the cut and pasted memorandum that is a matter of great concern.
“The same memorandum was submitted during the EFF march in April and for me the nature of the needs of the two communities are different.”
The residents said they are only remembered during elections, thereafter they are neglected and forgotten.
They alleged that the municipality is using them to get funds from their stakeholders, such as Sasol.
Mr Mbulelo Vilakazi, spokesman for the residents, said: “We are sick and tired of living in these conditions like we are pigs.
“There is no progress in this area, we always attend IDP meetings and are always shown documents about a budget for the area, but nothing ever materialises.
“We were supposed to get a proper bridge and we were told that millions of rand were allocated for it, but where is it?
“We have been voting for the past 20 years, but we still do not know what freedom is.
“The situation is bad at the village where shacks are falling apart and toilets are not working.”
Mr Vilakazi said because he is trying to seek a solution and confronted some people regarding service delivery in the village, he received serious threats.
He said however he is not intimidated.
Mr Kubheka said the community of Sakhisizwe is deceitful by alleging that they are not receiving service delivery.
He said despite the fact that the farm is privately owned by the Sakhisizwe Communal Prop Association as per title deed number T50704/2002, by law the association is compelled to ensure that basic services are delivered and paid for which is not the case, because the municipality is supplying the following basic services at its own expense through its limited resources:
* Water is supplied through a communal tap at no cost to the about 70 dwellers.
* There is a gravel road into the farm.
* The municipality is regularly emptying the VIP toilets at the farm at no expense to the community.
* A total budget of R4 million was provided by Sasol through the SLP for the construction of the bridge of which to date a service provider has been appointed by Sasol for the Environmental Impact Assessment which is due for completion by end of April next year.
“In conclusion, Sakhisizwe farm in comparison with the total households of the municipality, comprises 0.08 per cent of households that are benefiting through the above interventions of which it is our opinion that this farm has been given priority above others.”
Mr Vilakazi said it is not true that the municipality is delivering these services.
“They no longer service the toilets.
“We now relieve ourselves in the fields and it is not safe.”
The residents also raised their frustrations with the ward councillor, Mr Ben Makole, who apparently does not visit the area.
“As for our ward committee member who gets money from the government, she is staying in eMbalenhle.
“She is earning money for which she did not work.”
Mr Kubheka said councillors are mandated by Legislation to hold a minimum of one ward community meeting per quarter and should always be accessible by the community.
He said the community should continuously contact their councillor and that the doors of the municipality remain open for all service delivery enquiries.
Mr Shai said the council is taking chances and is playing hide and seek.
“The memorandum was based on the needs of the community and was drafted with the help of the community.
“The community invited us.
“This was not about the campaign and the EFF is helping the poor.
“The municipality is giving KFC to the community members to divide them.
“Now they claim that we did a copy and paste job with the memorandum.
“They are liars.”
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