ZAMDELA – Frustration and anger boiled over in the Zamdela community as residents gathered to express their discontent with the implementation of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
The IDP, designed to address the pressing needs and challenges faced by the community, has been met with widespread criticism for its perceived lack of progress and insufficient allocation of resources.
Residents came together to voice their concerns and demand accountability from Metsimaholo Local Municipality officials.
During the meeting, held at Harry Gwala Multi-Purpose Centre on Wednesday, September 27, the atmosphere was charged with emotion as residents took turns sharing their stories of unfulfilled promises and deteriorating living conditions.
One of the primary grievances raised by Zamdela residents was the failure of the IDP to address critical issues such as housing, electricity, paved inner streets, and unemployment.
Many residents claimed that they had been living in dire conditions for years, with little to no improvement in their circumstances.
Ward 21 resident, Ditaba Qulunga said “The meeting is going to be a waste of time if we are going to sit here and listen to you listing what you planning to do for us. We have given you our requests from the past IDP, today we only want to know which of those demands is the municipality going to implement and which you have delivered on as yet.”
Qulunga also lashed out at the municipality for delivering an IDP without figures allocated for planned projects.
“Your report undermines us. You putting points down but no figures. We don’t know how much money is going to be allocated where and when those said projects are going to happen,” he said.
Sydney Motaung said “The municipality is playing with us. We don’t know if these tricks they are playing are meant for their comrades to benefit or what. One moment we are told compact trucks are broken, the next we see hired compactors hired. Why don’t we get consistent services rather than these games we see.”