The Premier of the Limpopo Province, Mr Sello Moloto, urged the people of Thulamela Municipality to forget about ethnic discrimination and work towards efficient service delivery.

Thulamela Municipality is a cross-boundary municipal area comprised of Vendas and Shangaans. Allegations of ethnic tension have at one stage threatened the development of the municipality with some Shangaans, led by some traditional leaders, threatening to establish their own municipality, but their request was turned down by the government. Moloto says the solution is not to demarcate another municipality, but all stakeholders need to come together and fight poverty, unemployment and illiteracy.

Moloto was addressing thousands of people during the Limpopo Government Executive Committee’s outreach programme visit at Malamulele Stadium Wednesday last week..

Moloto said there is no use to establish another municipality at Malamulele, because the people’s political representatives are there. “Why do you speak about the establishment of a new municipality, while the national government is talking about downsizing the number of provinces? The money that can be used to administrate that municipality can be used to improve basic services in the area in which you are staying. The fact that the head office of the Municipality is at Thohoyandou does not necessarily mean that there is no municipality at Malamulele. The municipality went a further step by introducing a satellite office here at Malamulele. It would have been far much understandable if you were saying that your councillors have relocated to Thohoyandou, but you are staying with them. They are the ones who represent you at the municipal council meetings and they are always available when you need them. There is no way we can introduce another municipality here. Forget about boundaries and ethnicity and concentrate on community development.”

Moloto says that the fact the Executive Committee of the Limpopo Government visited Malamalele is an indication of the transparency of the government. Community members aired their problems during the ceremony and the premier promised that the government will look at them urgently. “You spoke your hearts out without censorship, because you have the right to participate in our joint transparent governance. We are going to sit down with the MEC’s and the Thulamela Municipality and look at the issues that need urgent attention. We do not come to you only when there are elections. There is a need to establish a good working relationship between the government and community members to ensure that our people are fully serviced.”

The mayor of Thulamela Municipality, Khosi Thivhulawi Makumbane, said the municipality is working hard to address backlogs in the areas within its jurisdiction. He thanked various stakeholders that are working with the municipality for service delivery. He also encouraged community members to make use of the satellite municipal offices at Malamulele instead of traveling for the same services to Thohoyandou.

Much to the excitement of the large crowd, Makumbane said the municipality will build a boxing hHall and a gymnasium at Malalamulele. He also indicated that there are housing, streets, poverty alleviation and electricity projects which the municipality is undertaking in the Malamalele area.