BETHAL – Govan Mbeki Municipality is bankrupt and has no money.
This is what GMM’s mayor, Mr Nhlakanipho Zuma, said in a meeting held on Wednesday, 4 May.
The meeting was held in Bethal where Mr Muzi Chirwa, mayor for the Gert Sibande District Municipality, service provider Enpower Machite and the business community of Bethal and eMzinoni were present.
GSDM appointed Enpower Machite as a service provider to take over the towns of Bethal and eMzinoni’s payment of the Eskom bill.
The purpose of the meeting was to form and finalise the project’s steering committee.
“The initiative brought forward by GSDM is appreciated by the municipality and we hope it sits the same way with our community.
“In the process of assisting the community, as we have already declared we do not have money,” said Mr Zuma.
He said there was a need to bring in a service provider who was able to “execute” without looking for money.
The fact that there were fireworks at the previous meeting held the week before, was also raised.
Businessmen, residents and representatives of organisations wanted to know how the service provider was awarded the tender. At the previous meeting, the tender could not be shown.
The matter of forming a project steering committee was also raised.
The project steering committee formed will oversee the affairs of the electricity project that is marshalled by Enpower Machite.
Several names were brought forward, however, this is not enough, according to Mr Zuma
“We appeal for the rest of the names, we don’t want to go back after this process and cry foul.”
He said that forming a steering committee is crucial.
He addressed the service provider (Enpower Machite), by saying: “Our interest is one and is to advert the issue of load shedding in the future.”
Local businessman and representative of Becs, Mr Ziyaad Dangor, addressed the matter that GMM’s Cllr Dan Nhlapho had walked out of the previous meeting.
He said that the previous week they were in the very same situation where they, as well established business people, asked concerning questions. Mr Nhlapho never answered these questions.
“It is one thing starting a steering committee, but we had never formally been introduced to the project at hand.
“We asked hard-driving questions on how the new service provider is going to be financed? What is the value of the financial commitment?”
Mr Dangor said it is a concern that the municipality is bankrupt.
“How do you manage a business without funds?”
“Yes, you have put a step forward from your side by appointing a service provider for our electricity, but is that where it stops?”
“What about the rest of our services?”
Mr Dangor said that Bethal is a “ticking time bomb on the brinks of collapse”.
He thinks this project is just empty promises and does not see it working.
Local businesswoman and also representative for Becs, Ms Marietjie Fourie, highlighted that between 50 to 60 per cent of the electricity are losses.
She asked what was in the “project scope” to prevent these losses.
Mr Nhlapho acknowledged that the Becs had brought forward some much concerning questions in the previous meeting.
“Indeed we did not respond to the questions raised,” he said.
He indicated that the presentation by Empower Machite had covered some of the issues.
“It couldn’t be correct to say that we didn’t respond to the questions raised,” said Mr Nhlapho.
He continued to highlight the matter of forming a steering committee.
The project director, Ms Rhuhlani Matshidze from Enpower Machite, highlighted the previous week’s presentation of comparing the electricity crisis to a bucket of water with holes that needs to be closed.
“GMM debt was increasing and approaching R3-billion,” said Ms Matshidze.
She said that Enpower Machite had invested its resources into the project.
The project is said to run over five years during which 65 transformers will be replaced around Bethal and eMzinoni.
Mr Muzi Chirwa, mayor for the Gert Sibande District Municipality said: “let us give this project the opportunity.
“What I want is transparency. It must be done efficiently, effectively, transparently, without any corruption,” said Mr Chirwa.
