Taxpayers play their part, come on politicians!

DEAR Hon Premier Mahumapelo, I was in Mahikeng during the Easter holidays and came back very disappointed. As far as I know, Mahikeng is still the administrative capital of the provincial government, Ngaka Modiri Molema District and Mafikeng Local Municipality. For a town that is the seat of the provincial government, Mahikeng is in a terrible state of decay and overall looks filthy.

With all the beautifully crafted Setsokotsane objectives, Honourable Premier, I still do not understand why Mahikeng is being so neglected and there seems to be no sign of intervention from officials from the local and district municipalities and provincial government. The town looks neglected, and is riddled with massive potholes.

Honourable Premier, I honestly do not understand why, in 2017, we still have some officials who get paid every month without fail; but can’t do the basics such as clean the town and fix potholes. If taxpayers are doing their part without fail, why are the politicians at the provincial legislature, district council and local council not doing their political oversight?

Honourable Premier, something needs to be done in Mahikeng to ensure that municipal managers, senior managers, managers and supervisors at the district and local municipality do what they are employed to do.

Residents of Mahikeng deserve a much better service from the local and district municipalities and provincial government; and they should not be held to ransom by some officials who do not appreciate what public service is all about.

The premier in his State of the Province address promised to change the face of Mahikeng through re-branding, repositioning and renewal. The premier promised to turn Mahikeng into the real City of Goodwill, but there was no sign of the city at work during the Easter holidays.

Without a doubt, our people need to have their land returned; our people want freedom that has meaningful impact on their lives; and most importantly, our people need freedom that can restore their dignity.

We can restore the dignity and improve service delivery to our people if we can focus on employing people from all walks of life with extensive practical experience, knowledge and qualifications who are prepared to serve our people with pride. Honourable Premier, Sections 139 (1) – (8) of the Constitution of the Republic is specific on proactive actions that the provincial government should take when a municipality fails to fulfil its executive obligations. It is important for the premier to establish why Mahikeng is in such a terrible state of neglect. If it is an issue of capacity and incompetency at municipal level, the provincial government still has the constitutional obligation to intervene in the affairs of Mafikeng Local Municipality and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality to ensure there is service delivery and necessary capacity is developed.

Respectfully yours,

Mahikeng is in a terrible state of decay and overall looks filthy

Tshwane