“If we hand over the R5.5 million, what will it be used for?” is the question raised by the Soutpansberg Ratepayers Association (SRPA).

At this stage, the SRPA has approximately R5.5 million in a trust fund that has accumulated since the declaration of their dispute with the Makhado Municipality regarding poor service delivery in August 2008.

“Water supply is the most important project. Should the dispute be resolved and we hand over the funds at some stage, we would like to contribute towards a local water project that we do together with the municipality,” SRPA Chairperson Inga Gilfillan said on 14 March.

“The ratepayers insist that the funds should be applied and spent in Makhado (Louis Trichardt) and not in the greater Makhado municipal area,” SRPA manager Phillip Olivier added.

Makhado Municipal Manager Sakkie Mutshinyali said, however, that the money would go into the pool for the wider municipal area. “There is nothing in government indicating that money will be spent for specific projects in town. It will go to the whole municipality. Council will have to vote on the projects,” Mutshinyali told the Zoutpansberger.

Mutshinyali apparently expected that the SRPA would hand over the R5.5 million at a meeting with them at the end of last year. The SRPA was taken by surprise when they were greeted by the attorney for the municipality; the municipality apparently regarded the meeting as an opportunity to hand over of the rates and taxes that had been withheld in the trust account. The SRPA’s reaction was that they had not been consulted in that regard, otherwise they would have brought their own legal representative. “How can we ask of our members to allow us to pay over the money willy-nilly if we don’t have any times and dates whatsoever on fixing or supplying service delivery? This is one of the main reasons why the SRPA members withhold their rates,” Gilfillan said.

It was agreed that the municipality’s attorney would contact the attorney of the SRPA and set up a meeting, which  has not occurred to date.

The reasons why all SRPA members (currently 523) are paying their basic water, basic electricity, basic sewerage and taxes and levies on immovable property into a trust fund are stated on the dispute form that each member signs every month. “Contributing factors … are, inter alia, the poor state of the financial management and billing system, the dysfunctional sewerage system, water reticulation management and regular shortage of water and quality thereof, the condition of our roads, pavements and parks and the unabated contamination of the environment, underground water and boreholes, creating serious health hazards.” Other factors mentioned include the inability of the municipality to honour commitments made on meetings and in writing and self-enriching salary increments by the municipality. 

In addition, a 13-point list was handed over to the municipal manager and his attorney, requiring them to provide answers about, among other things, water, sewerage, roads, storm water drains, the refuse dump, street lights, vacancies at the municipality, the present debt collection and the responsibilities of the local and the district municipality. “The ratepayers would like the responsibilities of the Makhado Municipality and the Vhembe Municipality regarding services in writing,” reads the memo. 

In the meantime, the dispute is still continuing and the handing over of the funds will only be put on the table if the SRPA members make a decision to that effect at a general meeting. The SRPA assures its members that their money is safe and that no difficulties are currently experienced when the accounts of members who sell their property, for instance, are paid up by the SRPA.