“We are sick and tired of presentations without implementation,” the community told its local and district municipalities on 15 March.

The Makhado Municipality called a meeting with wards 20 and 21 in an attempt to close the communication gap between the wards and the municipality. The information meeting followed on weeks of poor service delivery, particularly in terms of the lack of water supply and dirty water. 

The meeting was well attended and community members did not hesitate to voice strong opinions.

“It is not a norm that the mayor and Exco move around to all 38 wards. This meeting is to strengthen the participatory process. I invited all people of the two Makhado wards in order to provide information to the residents,” the mayor, Cllr Mavhungu Lerule, said at the start of the meeting at the Makhado Show Hall.

The meeting was conducted in English. When it was the turn of the general manager: technical of VDM, Mr NF Tshivhengwa, to speak on the water situation, he commenced in Venda. It did not take long for the audience to call him to order and Tshivhengwa had no other option but to switch to English.

Concerning the water situation, Tshivhengwa mentioned the population growth and that the demand is higher than the supply. Members of the audience, however, pointed out to him that they know this and that the municipality should have developed their infrastructure accordingly in time.

With regard to the municipal boreholes, Tshivhengwa said that 14 of the boreholes had been vandalised in December and refurbished at a cost of R1.4 million, only to be vandalised again in January. This time round, the repairs cost R1 million. Dr Paswana from the audience in turn expressed his surprise that boreholes could be destroyed twice, indicating a lack of security measures. He pleaded for political intervention and pressure on the justice system, so that crimes involving destruction of water and electrical supply should carry heavier sentences.

On the Nandoni dam “challenge”, Tshivhengwa said that the process to construct a pipeline from Nandoni to Valdezia had started, although the court case against the previous contractor had not been concluded. “The advert for the lines from Valdezia to the Mowcop Reservoir will be out by the end of March. If Makhado is to become a city, we should have enough water supply,” Tshivhengwa said.

On the sewerage issue, Tshivhengwa said that the adverts for mechanical work on the new waste water treatment plant would be out in a few months.

The technical presentation by the Makhado Municipality was done by the director of community services, Mr Elias Mugari, in the absence of Mr Thivho Ralulimi, the director of technical services. Issues that will have been addressed by the end of April include potholes in Eltivillas, the tarring of Eltivilas streets, the training of frontline personnel after complaints of attitudes and bad working relations, and the call centre not addressing issues reported by the public.

The installation of vending machines to buy electricity will be finalised by June this year. Mr Solly Maano, however, said that this same promise had been made in 2009.

“You have failed us for more than 17 years on water and sewerage,” Maano said.

Members of the Tshikota community complained that their issues had not been represented at the meeting. 

“You guys are robbing us! Go and check your contractor who reads meters,” Mpho from Tshikota said.

“We are facing hardships because of the municpality. You  do not achieve your time frames. The street to Hoërskool Louis Trichardt is not even completed. I hope that this meeting was not politically inspired but based on public interest,” Mr Lawrence Makhado said.

A speaker urged the municipality to manage its staff and “let them do work in business hours.”