Matjhabeng municipality unveils ‘a tailor-made’ solution to service delivery woes

The Matjhabeng local municipality mayor, Thanduxolo Khalipa, held a strategic meeting of service delivery with councillors and ward committee members on June 7.

The meeting included the municipality’s plans to for better service delivery, the 2024/2025 financial year budget and the indigent program.

Khalipa underscored the significance of ward committee members actively engaging in their respective communities.

Service delivery and payments

“For all services rendered, people must pay for them. But here people are not paying. Only less than 50% of what is owed is paid,” said Khalipa.

To deal with the issue of non-payment of service delivery, Khalipa says they made a request of assistance to the national treasury to grant them permission for the installation of smart electricity and water meters.

“These meters will allow the municipality to switch on-and-off electricity and water for those who are not paying, without the physical presence officials. It will also be easy to detect if anyone tries to tamper with them,” he said.

Khalipa was thrilled to report the green light on their request, and the project will commence on July 1st.

The mayor also said that they took a decision as council to hand over family units to a private service
provider.

“You are no longer going to sign agreements with the municipality but with service providers who will collect the money on our behalf and we will give them commission. We will hand them over in the next 30 days,” addressed Khalipa.

The municipality promises to take legal action against those not paying for services, since the mayor mentioned they are ready to hand over parties who owe the municipality to their appointed lawyers.

Infrastructure issues

Khalipa also acknowledged infrastructural challenges the municipality faces and shared their plans to deal with them.

“The reason we have sewage spillage everywhere is because all our pump stations were destroyed. Matjhabeng has 57 pump stations, and 52 of those were destroyed by the zama-zamas. We also have 11 sewer treatment plants, of which eight was destroyed by the very zama-zamas. We did not have a security plan, but now we will have one,” reported Khalipa.

Due to all these infrastructural issues, Khalipa further said the municipality had to declare a disaster. As a result, the minister of water and sanitation, the then Free State Premier, Mxolisi Dukwana and President Ramaphosa intervened with a R3.2 billion budget for Matjhabeng. R1.2 billion was used during the 2022/2023 financial year, R1 billion for the 2023/2024 financil year and the last R1 billion is working in the current financial year.

Tariffs hike

The Matjhabeng chief financial officer, Thabo Panyane, also briefed the members on the finances of the municipality.

Panyane reported the total billing of all wards for the month of April 2024 to be R234 million, of which R130 million was paid. “The overall total amount owed to the municipality stands at R7 billion,” added Panyane.

However, the municipality has developed a plan to register indigents on June 15, 22 and 29. Those eligible are households with an income of less than R3 500. So far, the total number of those registered in all wards during April is 7 118.

Another implementation will be an increase on tariffs. The water and electricity tariffs will both increase by 9%; the refuse and sewerage tariffs will see a 10% hike, while property rates as well as other revenue are set to increase by 6%.

Panyane encouraged ward councillors and ward committee members to assist with revenue collection during ward meetings and encourage those who qualify for indigents to apply for them.

During his address, the executive director of infrastructure, said that the Municipality was allocated R142 million by the Regional Bulk Infrastructure; R20 million by the Water Services Infrastructure Grant and R3 million by EPWP. The municipality was also given R139 million by the Municipal Infrastructure Grant for the 2024/2025 financial year.

There are multiple infrastructural projects set to take place within the municipality. These include a 3km long paved road and storm water drainage systems in Thabong, Ward 13 and15; construction of more drainage systems in Hani Park, Ward 12 as well as in Kutlwanong, Ward 10; a multipurpose community centre will be built in Ward 23; and the replacement of asbestos pipes in Thabong and Virginia.

Another budget within the municipality’s own revenue was allocated and can be used to plan the fixation of Albany Road in Virginia, as well as the repairing of community halls in Thabong, Kutlwanong, Nyakallong and Phomolong.

With an amount of R17 million allocated by WSIG, the municipality plans to construct an outfall sewer pipeline.

Another allocation of funds amounting to R26 million by the Intergrated National Electrification Programme (INEP) was allocated for the current financial year. With these funds, the municipality already plans to build a substation in Bronville Extension 9 and 15.

Furthermore, there will be ward-based programs for service delivery in all towns and townships; refurbishing maintenance of all pump stations; patching potholes; blading and graveling dirty roads; curbing water loss; cleaning un/lined storm water canals; repairing and maintaining of high mast lights and streetlights as well as the installation of a 20MVA transformer in Unrania.