Lekwa’s mayor shares some of the accomplishments and plans

Louis Delani Thabethe has been at the helm of the Lekwa Municipality for 126 days as of Monday, March 28.

The executive mayor agreed to an interview with the Standerton Advertiser the past week, where four of the mayoral committee members were present as well.

Thabethe succinctly described the municipal heritage.

“We inherited a municipality with no money, demoralised workers and no system in place.

“Our task is to stabilise the institution.”

Seven special council meetings have been held, where attendance was between 95% and 100% and apologies timeously offered when not attending.

Thabethe said the IDP-meetings as a whole went well, with the exception of the one in the Standerton Town Hall and the one in Kosmospark with average interest noticed.

“Halls were filled to capacity and it shows that residents are eager to work with the municipality.”

Key issues raised at the meetings were housing, water, electricity and employment.

As regards employment opportunities, the building of the mall has been placed back on the agenda.

The problem with a service level agreement between the developers and Lekwa has been sorted out.

“The agreement will be signed shortly,” Thabethe said.

Sipho Majozi, MMC for Technical Services, has a portfolio encompassing water, electricity, sewage and roads, while Phindile Mahlaba steers Corporate Services.

The latter includes human resources, the legal department and labour issues.

Planning and Economic Development falls under Thabo Sebiloane and Siphati Modise is the MMC for Community Services, which include the fire department, traffic department, wards and the environment.

Thabethe serves as MMC for Finance as well.

With regard to the state of the fire department and the DA’s opinion on the state of the fire brigade, as published in the newspaper dated April 1, a rehabilitation is planned.

“The fire department is getting our utmost attention,” the mayor also said.

The DA recently voiced their concern about the state of the fire brigade and will submit a motion in council, urging for immediate intervention.

After an oversight inspection on March 9, the neglect was seen.

According to the party, the fire truck had been grounded for the fourth month in a row, due to a mechanical fault and an overdue service.

“This has contributed to the increasing number of fatalities caused by a slow response by the fire department,” a statement read.

The Standerton Advertiser gave coverage to a collision on the Secunda Road on March 7, in which two people died after a vehicle caught fire.

Morgenzon Fire Brigade, located 50,3 km away from Standerton, extinguished the fire.

The DA said a municipality that is only operating with one vehicle for all emergency needs in Standerton, must prioritise basic maintenance and upkeep to ensure more lives are not lost.

A prevalence of household fire emergencies during the winter was also mentioned.

The mayor said provision has been made in the budget for rehabilitating the whole section and a skills audit will be done.

“The fire department is not the only department of concern.”

The mechanical workshop has been prioritised and tools were bought.

Contracts of employees at the fire brigade were deemed confidential, affecting the employee/employer relationship.

Extra workers have been employed for refuse collection and additional trucks are on the cards.

“We are procuring personal protective equipment for all employees,” he added.

The proposed organogram of Lekwa will now include new electricians and plumbers to service the community.

Permanent appointments have also been made at the cash hall in Mbonani Mayisela Street.

Thabethe referred to the Eskom-debt and said regular payments are made, with an attempt to increase the payments.

The exact amount could not be confirmed, except for a figure running into a billion plus, at the time of going to press.

Revenue collection is of utmost importance and a cash-based budget, according to the mayor, is the more realistic way to go.

“We want to mend relationships between the municipality and the community,” he concluded.