The Soutpansberg Chamber of Commerce expressed its concern about the awarding of tenders by both the local and district municipalities.

This follows a meeting between the Makhado Local Municipality and the Vhembe District Municpality and community members of wards 20 and 21.

In a press release dated 19 March, the awarding of tenders, as well as  the Chamber’s reaction to the meeting,  was addressed.

“One of the most pressing issues is the awarding of tenders to contractors who have proven themselves incapable of really getting the job done.  Shoddy work by such overpaid contractors means that jobs already done in the past will now have to be done again. This leads to exorbitant, fruitless expenditure, and that in the face of an already financially strained municipality and overburdened tax- and ratepayers. Much closer scrutiny of the tendering process is needed to ensure that tenders are awarded to competent contactors at reasonable costs,” stated Mr Willie Botha of the Chamber.

The Chamber also touched on the response of the community members during discussion time at the meeting . “It is very encouraging that not one of the speakers during discussion time was fooled and that stringent questions and remarks were made that highlighted the community's concerns about the very issues presented by the municipal team as having been addressed,” Botha said.  The Chamber shares these concerns regarding obvious service delivery failures still existing, despite the kind of picture painted by the municipality. 

Botha says that the positive that should be taken out of this meeting was the preparedness of the municipality to face their community when it was common knowledge that the community was unhappy with them.

Could the promise by the  municipality  to be pro-active indicate a ‘turn of heart’ and mark the end of a season of prolonged failure to act on obvious shortfalls? Or would the promises turn out to be empty once again?

“We certainly hope the ‘change of heart’ expressed verbally by the municipal team will result in action at ground level. More than having to prove themselves to the community, they now have to step up and deliver at the promised rate and in the indicated time frames or they certainly will have to face the wrath of a very disgruntled local community,” Botha said.