SOL ‘WORKING FEVERISHLY’ TO FIX CITY’S ROADS – MAYOR
SOL PLAATJE executive mayor Kagisho Sonyoni has dared whoever wrote the letters “ANC” on the city’s potholes, to rewrite the party’s name on all the holes that have since been repaired.
During a council meeting this week, Sonyoni stated that the municipality was hard at work repairing the city’s roads.
“Macdougall Street has been sealed, while repairs are under way in Phakamile Mabija Road and Schmidtsdrift Road. Roads in and around Galeshewe and other wards are being fixed. We are working feverishly to transform roads that are in a terrible condition into a very good state. We are working hard to restore the dignity of our people. Many roads are being paved,” said Sonyoni.
He went on to say that the city’s graveyards were reaching maximum capacity and the city was fast running out of burial space.
“We will have to locate a different site to bury the deceased in a dignified manner. The ABC Cemetery, West End Cemetery, Phutanang and Ramatshela cemeteries are full.”
He added that indigent burials could only take place during the week.
Sonyoni noted complaints that foreigners were “invading” clinics, leaving local patients struggling to secure appointments, while medicine supplies were running out and resources were being depleted.
“We will have to build a new clinic, especially in Ritchie where there is a population explosion,” the mayor noted.
Sonyoni reported a shortage of HIV/AIDS kits at the City Clinic, Betty Gaetsewe Clinic and Florianville Clinic.
“The copper pipes were stolen at Betty Gaetsewe Clinic and the paving has not been replaced at the entrance of the Dr Winston Torres Clinic, causing a risk to wheelchair-bound patients.”
ANC councillor Robert Kok pointed out that a clinic was operating at the rental units at Lerato Park.
“It is an unsuitable environment for a clinic, but they have nowhere else to go and a clinic is needed in the area. The municipality could be generating revenue from the rentals instead.
I did write to the HOD and MEC at the Department of Health but have not received any response,” said Kok.
DA councillor Elize Niemann pointed out that the roads were being fixed with taxpayers’ money and not ANC funds.
She added that the DA would open criminal charges against the municipality for contravening the Municipal Finance Management Act if it allocated funds for the Diamonds and Dorings Music Festival.
While council was assured that hosting the event would come at no cost to the local authority, it has been stipulated in the request for proposals to host the festival that Sol Plaatje Municipality would contribute R750 000 while the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture would provide R1.2 million.
Niemann advised that, in terms of the municipal cost-containment regulations, the municipality was not permitted to finance events through the assistance of sponsors. This after Sonyoni indicated that sponsors would be sourced to raise the R750 000 allocation for the Diamonds and Dorings Festival.