Note to Editors: Please find attached English, Afrikaans and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Nicky van Wyk.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will escalate the ongoing service delivery failures in the Mantsopa Local Municipality to the relevant Governance Committee, table the matter before Council, and formally call for the urgent implementation of a functional reporting and accountability system.
Residents continue to report numerous service delivery issues through the appropriate channels. However, the municipality’s response is, in most instances, either completely absent or limited to a brief acknowledgement that the matter has been “reported.” Even this minimal response is not consistently provided.
Of greater concern is the complete lack of accountability and follow-through: no reference numbers are issued for reported complaints, no feedback is provided on whether issues have been addressed or resolved, and many reported service delivery problems remain outstanding for extended periods without intervention.
This breakdown in communication and service delivery is unacceptable and undermines public trust in the municipality.
Attempts to engage with the Director of Technical Services on these ongoing failures have yielded an equally concerning response. The Director indicated that he is overwhelmed with meetings and unable to cope with his workload.
While we acknowledge that municipal roles can be demanding, this cannot justify the continued failure to deliver essential services. The inability to perform the core functions of the position directly impacts residents and compromises the municipality’s constitutional obligation to provide basic services.
Furthermore, it is deeply concerning that the Mayor has requested municipal officials to remove themselves from service delivery groups. These officials are responsible for overseeing and responding to service delivery issues, while the Mayor oversees the municipality as a whole.
Removing accountable officials from platforms where service delivery issues are reported and monitored weakens transparency, communication, and responsiveness. This decision is inappropriate and counterproductive to effective governance.
As the Democratic Alliance, we will escalate this matter to the relevant Governance Committee, table it before Council, and communicate it to the public.
Accountability must be clear. The community has a right to know that responsibility for ongoing service delivery failures rests with the municipality’s political leadership, including the Mayor.
Residents cannot and should not be expected to continue paying for services that are not being delivered.
We call on the Mantsopa Local Municipality to urgently:
- Implement a proper reporting system with reference numbers for all complaints.
- Ensure consistent feedback to residents on reported issues.
- Prioritise resolving outstanding service delivery problems.
- Address capacity and leadership challenges within the Technical Services Department.
- Reinstate proper communication channels, including the involvement of relevant municipal officials in service delivery platforms.
The community deserves a municipality that is responsive, accountable, and committed to service delivery. Immediate corrective action is required.