BETHAL – The community, DA Councillors and activists marched on 18 February from the corner of Percy de Kock and Simon Vermooten Street to the Govan Mbeki municipal offices in Bethal to express their feelings about the electricity and other service delivery issues.
The Democratic Alliance demanded that Mr Felani Mndebele, municipal manager, tackle the municipality’s financial crisis head-on and stick to contractual agreements with Eskom and Rand Water.
The party led by Ms Jane Sithole, leader of the Democratic Alliance Mpumalanga and Premier Candidate and the residents marched to the Govan Mbeki Municipality to demand the improvement of service delivery in the area.
Ms Sithole said Mr Mndebele must deal with the systematic failures in the provision of both water and electricity to the town.
She said that it is unacceptable that the residents of the municipality are going days without water, without electricity, without decent ablution facilities and are at the mercy of
Eskom and Rand Water all because the municipality cannot settle its accounts.
She said water is life. It is needed for bodily functions, for hygiene purposes and cooking.
However, water provision, or the lack thereof, is a constant issue in the municipality and since 2018 Rand Water has throttled the provision of water over unpaid debts.
“During May and November last year the entity throttled the supply by 40 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. In January, residents were left without water for a month, if not more.
“The right to water is enshrined in our constitution- yet residents of Govan Mbeki Municipality constantly have to go without it for prolonged periods.
“The municipality has always been on Eskom’s disconnection list for the non-payment of services rendered by the entity since 2015, and also for not complying with payment agreements held between Eskom and the municipality.
“The municipality’s inability to pay Eskom and Rand Water is bringing the municipality closer to the brink of a disaster, especially when one looks at the violent protests that recently occurred.
“The failure of the municipality to pay Eskom and Rand Water for services rendered, stems from systematic failures of the municipality to implement revenue generation and collection systems in a manner that ensures longevity and viability of the municipality.”
Ms Sithole said due to ineffective collection systems, the municipality owed Eskom and Rand Water just over a R1-billion in September 2018.
She said it must also be noted that in the past five years the amount owed to Eskom increased from R124 million in 2014, to the R896 million currently owed.
“Money which, if the municipality was able to collect, would be used to uplift community lives.
“It is sad for me to be living in a time where people still do not have access to water and decent sanitation.
“Sanitation and having access to toilets are the most important issues which community members face, as reported in the IDP.
“Fresh water reserves are polluted daily from untreated sewage and people are living with sewage flowing down their streets.
“Economic growth and job creation are stunted in the municipality and the youth especially.
“The municipality needs to address these issues that are affecting the community head-on and ensure that basic rights are promoted.”
Mr Benzi Soko, chief of staff at Govan Mbeki Municipality, received the memorandum that stated that the community demands better service delivery from the municipality and that service providers such as Eskom and Rand Water be paid.
The following demands were stipulated in the memorandum:
* The municipal manager tackle the financial crisis head-on and stick to contractual agreements with Eskom and Rand Water.
* Water is provided to all of the residents who do not currently have and to specifically ensure that Bethal Extensions 3 and 8, Bethal Rand and the small holdings will never receive total water cuts as was the case in December last year to January.
* To improve revenue generation and revenue collection systems.
* Eskom, Rand Water and all the creditors be paid within the 30-day period, as determined by the Municipal Finance Management Act.
* The issues of no toilets, street lights and high unemployment rate will be dealt with.
* A forensic investigation be conducted as requested by the premier.
The DA gave Mr Mndebele, 14 working days to positively respond to their demands and said failure to do so will lead to the intensification of their demonstrations.
Ms Terry-Lee Kleynhans, DA activist, thanked the community for their support by attending the march.
She encouraged the community to join such activities in the future.
“We must take a stand against services not delivered,” said Ms Kleynhans.
She said about 350 people attended the march.
