Money woes slow down EMLM delivery

SERVICE delivery by the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM) was being hampered by a lack of financial resources.

While Ezibeleni residents this week told The Rep they believed they had been marginalised in terms of service delivery for a period stretching over the past five mayors, EMLM spokesman Fundile Feketshane said although the municipality was required by the constitution to provide basic services in line with the powers and functions in schedule B, it was “common cause that the needs of our communities cannot be fulfilled by the current financial resources.”

Feketshane said the municipality was owed millions in outstanding rates and other services, with the local authority on a drive to collect outstanding debts. Residents could visit the municipality’s budget and treasury office to negotiate settlements in line with the credit control policy.

Resident Simon Bokwe said votes were not resulting in delivery.

“A new mayor gets appointed; brings another set of promises and neglects the ones that were made.”

Marwabi Goxo, who lives in Unathi, said it had been 16 years since he last saw a grader in his street.

“The rainwater which is supposed to go down the drain, floods my house. If the municipality could at

least bring a grader to level the road, the problem would get better.”

He said he went to the municipality to make the request and was told he would have to secure an appointment with executive mayor Lindiwe Gunuza Nkwentsha.

At a recent community meeting with Enoch Mgijima Municipality, he brought the matter up again, with promises made that the road would get attention by the end of the month. This did not happen.

It also did not make sense to expect the Ezibeleni electricity infrastructure, which was in place during the time of KD Matanzima, and intended for a few houses, to support a growing residential area.

Power cuts were extended, with wind or storms resulting in outages.

Feketshane said the municipality was doing everything in its power to attend to various service delivery issues.

“We have installed high-mast lights and completed a road construction project. Our infrastructure is decaying owing to an array of reasons and we are doing everything possible to attend to it with our meagre resources.”

Communities were consulted about service delivery, with planning done annually.

“We remain committed to providing quality services in a sustainable manner and we are open for engagement.”