What authorities say

Matjhabeng municipality

“The Matjhabeng local municipality acknowledges the challenges facing the municipality, particularly water leaks and sewage spillages. The municipality, through intergovernmental relations engagements with the district and the provincial leadership of the province, has requested national and presidential intervention to assist it to address the ageing infrastructure, sewage challenges and vandalism to our property,” said municipality spokesperson Kgojane Matutle.

“We are confident that their efforts will bear positive efforts. Vandalism has also crippled our financial muscle resulting in a huge backlog as money budgeted for other projects is used to replace stolen cables and other essentials.”

The police

“We are aware of several cases of cable theft, vandalism of public properties and graveyard vandalism. A thorough investigation has been conducted to ensure perpetrators are brought to book.

“Crime intelligence has already initiated some developments. At the same time, residents and scrap metal dealers must assist the police by not buying suspected stolen copper.

“Anyone with information that can lead to the arrests of these copper cable thieves can contact police emergency number 08600 10111 and callers can remain anonymous,” said Thabong SAPS spokesperson, Stephen Thakeng.

The DA

“The issue of water sewage blasters come a long way, this has been happening throughout several cities within Matjhabeng. This includes Thabong, Phomolong, Kutlwanong and Nyakallong,” DA’S chief whip in Matjhabeng councillor Maxie Bardenhost said.

“The situation is terrible, we made site inspection in these areas … in Heinemann it is quite bad, people have lost livestock due to the water sewage problem. As the DA, on 24 March 2021 we filed a criminal case against the municipality, and we later reported the matter to the South African Human Rights Commission on 5 April 2021.

“We are communicating with our residents, and they also agree that the ruling party has failed to meet their demands. There’s infrastructure backlog, and another issue, our people spend days without water. Our citizens are fed up with how the municipality failed them,” said Bardenhorst.

The EFF

“The EFF has been spearheading the call for the

ANC to step down. We are not surprised by ageing infrastructure, in which the municipality cannot do anything about it,” said EFF mayoral candidate in Matjhabeng, Mongameli Khobeni.

“Our cities are piled up with rats, this is due to unhealthy environment. Waste and garbage is not collected and water sewage blocks. The ruling party is violating our people’s right that speaks to human dignity.”