6 hours Ago By Aphumelele Mdlalane
Home | Maluti A Phofung services blighted by political instability Thirty years into democracy, residents of Maluti A Phofung municipality in the Free State continue to be on the receiving end of poor services due to political instability. For over a decade, the municipality which incorporates Qwaqwa, Harrismith and Kestel, has been struggling with inconsistent water and electricity supply. Government admits that political instability has worsened the situation.
Residents are bearing the brunt. “I walk a long distance to fetch water at a school, as a result I got injured in the process,” laments one. Another observes, “We struggle with water, even when the water tankers are available, it’s a struggle to go there because I am old.
” The provincial government admits it has failed residents when it comes to water supply. It says it is working on improving the water infrastructure. For more than ten years residents have been fighting for the provision of water in the area, despite national government committing billions of rands in 2019 to fix the infrastructure.
Another R1-billion has been committed to the municipality by the provincial government. Cooperative governance MEC Saki Mokoena elaborates, “We can safely say that there is an investment of about a billion for Maluti A Phofung from all levels of government to stabilise the road network, sewer and the water system in that area. We should be expecting to reach better levels in the next couple of weeks or months in terms of two critical issues – water and electricity.
” Meanwhile, some political parties are threatening to bring a motion of no confidence against the coalition-led municipality’s speaker, chief whip and mayor. Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillor Chicco Mkhwanazi explains, “There is nothing that is happening in this municipality. the community is still struggling about everything so we are not happy at all and we are busy now engaging our leadership to put the motion of no confidence against all this troika because they are doing nothing.
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