By OBAKENG MAJE
Some residents in Glaudina village, outside Schweizer Reneke said they continue to experience widespread poor service delivery within their area. They said their continuous engagements with the embattled Mamusa Local Municipality is futile.
On 23 March 2024, the residents submitted the Memorandum of Demand to the municipality, raising various challenges regarding poor service delivery.
One of the residents who refused to be named for fear of reprisal said: “As the residents, we continue to experience challenges in provision of quality basic services to our community. When we engage in violent and disruptive service delivery protests, they send the police to come and shoot at us.
“I just wonder what kind of government is this that does not deliver services to its people. Normally, these service delivery protests are typically triggered by the failure of the government to provide communities with basic quality services such as electricity, water, tarred roads, sanitation and waste removal.”
Another resident who also refused to be named for fear of reprisal shared the same sentiments. He said in general, corruption, financial mismanagement and unproductive operations are among the challenges that contribute to ineffective service delivery by the government.
“The memorandum we submitted to the municipality entails a wide range of issues related to service delivery and unemployment. We have inadequate service provision from various government institutions such as SASSA, Home Affairs and the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“However, our main issue was the allegation of skewed recruitment processes in the EPWP and CWP intakes. We have a high rate of unemployment and the service delivery by the municipality is widely perceived to be poor in various areas,” he said.
He said they urge the municipality to focus and identify key challenges that affect service delivery in their area. He said some of the key challenges that hinder the municipality from effectively delivering quality basic services to the community are caused by poor planning, financial mismanagement, corruption and lack of community participation.
Meanwhile, the municipal speaker of Mamusa Local Municipality, Doctor Batsi said: “I met with the residents to give feedback on their concerns. Honestly, we were hard at work responding to more than 15 demands raised by the residents.
“In that meeting, we also agreed that some of the issues raised by the concerned residents will be addressed during the 2024/25 IDP Budget processes. We have further committed to ensure that both the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District and Mamusa Local Municipalities will address issues related to their services.”
TaungDailyNews 