Phone calls, visits and letters and more phone calls, visits and letters to the Makhado Municipality, but nine months later - still only empty promises, no replies and absent service delivery.

Mr Nigel Rushton wrote down an account of his distressing interaction with the Makhado Municipality. The letter concerning the red tape at the Makhado Municipality has now been sent to the Public Protector, the Limpopo Premier, Mr Sello Moloto, the National Minister for Provincial and Local Government, Mr Sydney Mufamadi and MEC Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

Mr Rushton paid a sum of money to the municipality for services that he had not received or acknowledged and received no reasonable response to his queries.

“I have been going through the rather harrowing experience of trying to build a house legitimately for my family in Kleynhans Street, Makhado (Louis Trichardt). This has been a highly frustrating experience, even more remarkable as I come from the United Kingdom and I am unfamiliar with the workings of the municipality,” writes Mr Rushton on May 14 this year.

The complainant submitted building plans on August 29, 2005, and they were approved, according to a municipality stamp on the plans on November 23 of the same year. He received a letter from the municipality outlining that he was liable for electrical, water and sewer connection fees. The payment was made on September 29, 2005.

“Despite frequent correspondence, I have heard nothing from the Municipality regarding the installation of these services to this day,” says Mr Rushton. He made eight visits in person and wasted time and money on repeated phone calls and faxes in order to gain clarification. He was assisted by his mother-in-law, Ms Nellie Wolmarans, who paid visits to the municipality when he was in Johannesburg.

Mr Rushton met with a municipal official of the relevant department in February this year and gained his assurance that he would look into the matter and relay his findings.

“Sadly, he did not and I remained unable to reach him on the telephone. My telephone bills document dozens of fruitless calls to the various numbers I have been given to resolve this breakdown in communication.

“On many occasions, I was treated very badly on the telephone; it was usual to be kept waiting, cut off or both. I was given irrelevant numbers, talking to employees who would ask me to call back at specific times in the full knowledge that at the specified time they would have left their office, having gone home or offering other spurious excuses. At one time, the receptionist responded to my request to register a complaint by offering to put me through to the Fire Service, which I might have found hilarious had I not felt quite so insulted.”

Mr Rushton made correspondence on numerous occasions in writing. After another two months without a response from the municipal offices, he followed up by visiting them in person on Thursday, April 20. He explained everything to the said official, who told him that he needed to speak to another municipal officer who was on leave that day. Mr Rushton managed to put several questions to the said official on April 21. The official’s promise to call back was, however, not honoured.

Mr Rushton returned in person on Monday, April 24, and laid a written letter in the official’s hand, repeating the questions. The official again said that he would deal with the matter immediately.

“I left to await his call once more. He did not call. I was becoming increasingly frustrated and concerned that my case was being handled poorly. The next day, I went to visit twice, once in the morning when I was told that the official was in a meeting and once in the afternoon when I was told that he was still in a meeting by one of three people relaxing over his desk. I left a letter stating how disappointed I was that he had not honoured his word and a repeat of the request to know what was going on. On the Wednesday, I called in person again and was told by the three same people relaxing over his desk that he was in a meeting all day.”

Mr Rushton called back again on the Friday, April 28, and met with the official.

“This time he told me that he was going to make a written response. I was amazed by his tone; he seemed annoyed that I was bothering him by returning repeatedly.” Two weeks later, he had received no such response.

Mr Rushton then wrote a letter to the Mayor, Cllr Gloria Mashaba, and other municipal officials, outlining his frustrations with the planning office and their negligent attitude. To date, no response has been forthcoming.

The Zoutpansberger faxed this report to the offices of the Mayor, the Municipal Manager and the Public Relations Officer, Mr Peter Muleya, last week, affording the municipality the opportunity to comment. At the time of going to press, no comment or response had been received.