HA-MASHAU – The MEC for Public Works, Mr Thaba Mufamadi, interacted with communities of Ha-Mashau about service delivery matters last Thursday.

Mufamadi’s visit was part of his departmental imbizo programme of going to the people with the sole purpose of responding to the villagers’ grievances with regard to the provision and renovation of roads and construction of schools and clinics.

At the centre of the residents’ grievances was the slow pace of electrification of their households, poor road conditions, shortage of water, sanitation, land claims and the poorly built RDP houses. The MEC heard that, in Ward 17 and 18 of the Makhado Municipality, only relatives and close friends of the councillors are getting RDP houses and electricity and that most of the villages at Ha-Mashau are inaccessible as a result of bad conditions of the gravel roads.

Residents told the MEC that, in certain areas’ gravel roads, small bridges are needed and that the main gravel roads, including the streets, need to be graded regularly.

In responding to the residents’ questions, Cllr NP Muladi of the Makhado Municipality said that they have been trying to overcome the water shortage as the municipality, adding that, as from July 1, 2005, Vhembe District Municipality would be the only authority responsible for the provision of water.

“About electricity, we do not want to raise false expectations, but we are saying we will inform you about any possibilities of electrifying your area, because we are still guided by our priority list,” he said. The MEC who promised and committed himself that in the next two to three weeks he would be at the village to give feed back, said that his department will soon introduce new programmes to renovate schools and clinics.

“It is only when we are working together that we can overcome all the challenges that we are faced with, so I urge you all to join us as the department in building our country,” he said. During the imbizo, he handed over computers, printers, scanners and copiers to the Mashau schools.