By OBAKENG MAJE
Service delivery at Phokwane continues to be affected after municipal workers embark on a week-long unprotected strike. This comes after the embattled Phokwane Local Municipality failed to pay their September salaries.
Now, residents in the area call for the Northern Cape Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA)’s intervention.
One source said: “We urge the COGHSTA department to disband the municipality. The infights between the mayor, Chief Whip and the acting Municipal Manager continue to affect service delivery and plague the municipality in disarray.
“Nothing has changed since the new leadership ascended to the helm hence we call for an overhaul. These people do not care about service delivery, but instead, they put their own interests at the forefront.”
It is alleged that mayor, Olebogeng Tumodi and the Chief Whip, Remaketse Selogilwe forcefully took the key of the acting Municipal Manager, Kealeboga Gaborone’s office. This allegedly caused her not to pay the salaries of the municipal workers.
Now, municipal workers allegedly poured faeces at the reception and blocked the entrance of the municipality with refuse bags.
The Democratic Alliances (DA) councillor at the municipality, Annette van Wyk said they are concerned about the lack of service delivery.
“The DA will now make good on our threat to lay criminal charges against the municipality in respect of NEMA 107 of 1998 Section 49A (1) in an effort to enforce some kind of accountability.
“No amount of criminal charges, however, will make up for the inherent inefficiency within Phokwane, where ANC-infighting continues to thwart service delivery. This has already been demonstrated by numerous failed government-driven interventions in Phokwane,” van Wyk said.
She further said the failure of the municipality to fix an affordable and easy to repair sewerage spill that is wreaking devastation on homes, schools and businesses in Jan Kempdorp, has again raised concerns about the ANC-run local government’s internal instability and poor financial state.
“The sewerage situation at the silos remains intolerable. Sewage continues to seep into boreholes, with at least two already contaminated with E. coli. Sewage in the road is already pushing up into houses in Andalusia Park and in a house at the “Lande”.
“Businesses, school and a creche in the industrial area are also badly affected. The DA further previously reported that two bodies have been found in the sewage that has dammed up at the silos,” said van Wyk.
Meanwhile, Tumodi said: “We have noted in dismay the ongoing unlawful demonstration by employees from the beginning of the week. As much as we are disappointed by the actions of our employees, we wish to reaffirm our commitment to timeously resolve the impulse.
“There is ongoing engagements between the employer and recognised stakeholders to expedite the resolve (sic). We wish to confirm that salaries of employees will be paid on time, other outstanding payments will be facilitated as a matter of urgency.”
Tumodi added: “We wish to implore our employees to desist from engaging on unlawful strike and afford the leadership of the institution to resolve all concerns. We wish to express our utmost apology for any inconvenience caused, together we shall build a better society.”
The Guardian 