A promise by the Speaker of the Makhado Municipality that issues would be addressed and that there would be a report-back meeting on June 18, fell by the wayside.

The SPRA said that ratepayers are left only with the option of mass action.

The promise of a report-back meeting was made at a meeting between several stakeholders in May. The Speaker, Ms Joan Hoorzuk, invited the Down Town Rate Payers Association, the Soutpansberg Rate Payers Association, the Chairpersons Association, political structures and Sanco to a meeting on May 21. The proposed agenda covered working relationship and service delivery issues.

At the meeting, it was decided to distinguish between “small issues” and “big issues”.

“Small issues” were regarded as long queues at the municipality, too few officials manning the counters, people not being helped in Shangaan, municipal officials dealing rudely and arrogantly with the public (with a specific official mentioned), and municipal officials not wearing their nametags, thereby making it impossible to complain to higher authority.

“Big issues” were regarded as the issues raised in the declaration of dispute by the SPRA, pertaining to the rapid decline and deterioration of services and infrastructure and to financial and administrative maladministration. The prevailing practice of the municipality to ignore letters was mentioned under the “big issues”. The SRPA produced 85 of their letters to, which not a single reply had been received. Receipt was acknowledged to three letters but no reply had been given.

At the meeting, it was announced that the small issues would be dealt with immediately.

“You, Madam Speaker, officially announced that you and your office would ensure that all issues would be addressed by June 18. In fact, you set this date for the report-back meeting,” writes the SRPA chairman, Mr Frans Prinsloo, in a letter dated June 22. Prinsloo expresses his sadness that the promise was broken, just like so many other promises.

The municipal spokesperson, Mr Louis Bobodi, was asked by the Zoutpansberger why the report-back meeting with the Speaker had not taken place as scheduled. Mr Bobodi said that he was not aware of the situation but that he would find out. At the time of going to press, no answer had been forthcoming.

Mr Prinsloo concludes his letter to the Speaker in the following manner: “The ratepayers can’t help but to come to the conclusion that you are also helpless to discipline the officials. This leaves the ratepayers with only the option of mass action with maximum media coverage.”