The Makhado Municipality finally tabled its action plan to address issues of service delivery with the Soutpansberg Ratepayers Association (SRPA), but according to the association it is “no action plan” at all.

The municipality resolved that their action plan would be ready seven days after the high-powered meeting of 27 October where five representatives of the SRPA and their lawyer met with the municipal manager, Mr Shadrack Tshikalange, and six municipal officials, three members of KWCRS (Khuvutlu Water, Consultation, Roads and Services), two representatives of the Department of Water Affairs and Ms Florah Nkoana of Cogta provincial support.

“It was agreed that the municipality would submit a report and the action plan. Seven days were set aside to present a plan, the next seven days inspection in loco would take place and in the last seven days …. the SRPA would release the money,” municipal spokesperson Mr Louis Bobodi said.

The final action plan document was only received nearly a month after the 27 October meeting.

The site inspection arranged for 7 December was ignored by the municipality and the SRPA representatives waited in vain. They left a while after Tshikalange rushed right through the group waiting for him and disappeared into the office of his secretary. Shortly afterwards, the municipality’s director of technical serivces,  Mr Thivho Ralulimi, informed the group that he had earlier given an official an order to let everybody know that he would not be available. The SRPA delegation on their part then refused to go on a site inspection without officials with decision-making power.

In the meantime, the chairperson of the Soutpansberg Ratepayers Association, Ms Inga Gilfillan, responded to the municipality’s action plan entitled “Response to Issues Raised by the SRPA.”

“We do not merely raise issues; no, we have a dispute document for which an action plan is required.  An action plan has starting dates and finishing dates … We are highly concerned that the action plan merely states underfunding and mismanagement, together with wasteful expenditure,” Gilfillan said.

With regard to the rates, the municipality’s action plan states that the public was consulted through public participation as confirmed by the Department of Local Government. The SRPA begged to differ and said that the rate randage was never discussed with anyone.

Concerning sewer spillage, the action plan indicates that the Eltivillas sewerage booster pump repair work was done on 8 November.  The spillages in “Malherbe street, the brewery sewer pump station and corner Byles and Industria Streets were as the result of the non–functionality of the Vlei pump station, which is now fixed.”  The SRPA, however, wanted to see how and where these repairs had been done.

On the issue of water supply, the action plan states that water restrictions are being implemented as a credit control measure with all members of public. The cause for the water shortage, according to the action plan, is that “the demand is higher than the available water”. A tender for upgrading the Albasini Water Treatment Works has been advertised.  “The Nandoni pipeline construction is being fast-tracked by the Department of Water Affairs,” reads the action plan. A new contractor has been appointed to tackle the incomplete reservoir at Mowcop and the site handover was done on 18 November. Ralulimi told Gilfillan that the contractor had 28 days to appear on site.

According to the action plan, the municipality needs funding for street rehabilitation of Byles, Verreyne, Van der Lith, Brown and Van der Bergh Street in the industrial area. In Eltivillas, First, Fifth and Sixth Street were included in the multi -year program from 2011 to 2013, a programme which is funded by the Municipal Infrastructure Grant.

“This is no action plan, saying that funds are needed without any action or completion dates. There is no street rehabilitation on the regional priority needs document. The streets were last resurfaced in 1994.  A pavement management plan needs to be in place to show what is happening to all roads in the next 20 years,” said Gilfillan.

On electricity, the action plan states that electricity blocking or restriction is being implemented as a credit control measure. “There is nothing in the action plan regarding maintenance, refurbishing, replacement and a disposal plan as required by legislation. Electricity is only mentioned as a means of a debt collection policy,” Gilfillan said.

With regard to pre-paid electricity, the vice-chairperson of the SRPA, Mr Solly Maano, said that in the mayor’s budget speech of 2008, promises were made that pre-paid vendor points and vending machines would be established.

“It is nearly the end of 2011 and we are still waiting. People who buy directly from Eskom buy around the clock and their electricity is not switched off, even if they are in arrears. To this the municipality states that 24-hour vending of pre-paid electricity will be established by the end of the current financial year, which is June 2012."