Sasolburg in Metsimaholo Local Municipality in the Free State rolled out the red carpet for ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa, on Friday, as he campaigned in Zamdela township, in the governing party’s last push for votes ahead of the municipal elections, tomorrow.
The residents of this small industrial town flocked to the Harry Gwala multi-purpose centre hoping to hear how the party will change their lives for the better.
On Thursday, when the Sunday Independent visited Zamdela, the high level of unemployment was visible in the number of people idling along the pothole-riddled streets.
On the once-tarred main road leading into the township, motorists were forced to drive on gravel on the sides to avoid causing damage to their cars.
However, it was an easier ride for ANC campaigners who drove around in big 4x4s equipped with loudspeakers announcing Ramaphosa’s visit, for which the municipality is said to have hurriedly patched some of the potholes.
Motorist Moeketsi Mnguni said the municipality had failed to maintain infrastructure.
“This is very bad. They have been trying to patch them, but that’s not enough. These roads need maintenance or they should start afresh. I have spent lots of money on tyres and shock absorbers because of these potholes. We are voting, but we don’t get the services we deserve as voters.
“There are lots of things that the municipality ignores in this area. One, is sewage. Sometimes you will see it flowing in the streets and I think the pipes are not maintained.
“If you go around, there are people living in shacks without electricity and proper sanitation. These people were promised to be relocated to other developed areas and this has never happened. There’s also a lack of refuse collection and residents are forced to dump everywhere,” he said.
Another motorist Motsamai Morobe said the potholes were an example of poor service delivery in the area.
“Service delivery is lacking in this area. Sewage is also a problem. Right now they are trying to patch these potholes but I can tell you that it won’t last because they have been doing it over the past years.
“And I think they are trying to close them because there will be elections on Monday. We have been living with these potholes for years and they are damaging our cars,” he said.
Metsimaholo is one of the most troubled municipalities in the country. A 2018 forensic report exposed what it described as “wanton looting” after about R250 million-worth of irregular appointments of service providers and extensions of the contracts were uncovered.
The embattled municipality was placed under administration, last year, due to disagreements in the council and failure to appoint senior managers.
In December 2019, the municipality was granted the greenlight to build the Refeng Kgotso sports complex.
The R7.54 million project was supposed to be completed within 36 months. The actual project expenditure in June 2020 stood at R5.17 million and additional payments of R1.86 million were made up to May 2021.
However, the 2019-2020 Auditor General’s (AG’s) report flagged some invoices which indicated that the fence around the complex and the tennis courts had been completed, but upon physical inspection, both were discovered to be in the early stages of construction.
The municipality, with a population of over 160 000 and a 32.1% unemployment rate, is one of the four, together with the Moqhaka Local Municipality, Ngwathe Local Municipality and Mafube Local Municipality, that make up Fezile Dabi District Municipality.
In Cargo informal settlement, residents have to live on the banks of a stream without electricity and proper sanitation. The community uses pit latrines and they share communal taps.
“We want the permanent stands (sites) because the government has dumped us and promised that we will be relocated to a developed piece of land. It’s almost two years now and nothing has happened. We had to contribute money for us to have water.
“The situation is worse when it's raining. Water flows into our homes. The councillor has also promised that he would give us the stand numbers, and there are people threatening to evict us here and we are frustrated as to whether we should stay or leave,” said Dibuseng Bofelo.
She added: “How are we going to vote when we don’t know, if the government is taking our plight seriously? Because no one is giving us an update. What we have realised is that these people have been lying to us. All we want is them to be honest with us.”
Lebo Mahasela also shared the same sentiments about the living conditions being dire.
“We have no (proper) streets and these people promised to create them but we have been waiting forever now. On the other side, traffic officers stop us and inspect our cars, but they forget that the roads are bad and damage our cars. It shows that the municipality doesn’t care anymore about us.”
Mmadineo Hlongwane, 57, had walked a few kilometres from her home to rinse spinach. She said the living conditions in the area are difficult.
“This is how we live here. There’s no electricity and we have to use paraffin to cook. At my age, I am still forced to walk a distance to fetch water. This is not life. And crime is too much in this area because it’s dark in the evening,” she said.
Residents in Amelia informal settlement echoed the same sentiments, saying the government has been promising to relocate them.
“This happened in 2016. We are now heading to another municipal election and they are still promising the same thing. Life is bad in this area. We have to share one communal tap and other residents have to walk a long distance for water. Imagine a pregnant woman having to walk a long distance in the evening. These people (municipality) need to be serious. All we want is service delivery and permanent stands,” said Thapelo Modiri.
Meanwhile, Nthoto Mokhitli said: “We want stands, nothing else. We are tired of this life. We want to have taps at home, and our children having access to schools. I have been here since 2010 and the conditions have gone worse.”
Asked what changes they will bring to the communities, an ANC ward councillor candidate, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the questions would be answered after the elections.
“All we have to do is to relocate all people in the informal settlements. And remember, some land pieces do not belong to the government, meaning, we have to negotiate with the owners and try to buy for our people. That’s if we reach an agreement with the owners. But this is not a promise, as I am yet to meet with the residents,” he said.
Metsimaholo Local Municipality spokesperson Gino Alberts said: “Potholes are a national problem and the municipality started the projects to fix them in July. We prioritised our community because it is an industrial area and is too busy. We told those in the informal settlements that we will look into informal settlements to see how we can address their challenge.”