Taxpayers from all over the Makhado Municipal area demand change and are threatening to resort to mass action.

“We want change and we want value for our money,” says the chairperson of the Down Town Ratepayers, Mr Solly Maano.

“Our grievances include firstly the total lack of service and service delivery, both at the municipal offices as well as in the area of provision and maintenance of infrastructure. We also object to the illegal policy and implementation of property rates and taxes. We want the policy and implementation to be redone. We also want the government to appoint an administrator in the Makhado Municipality and have posts filled with skilled and experienced people by means of public participation by ratepayers,” says Mr Frans Prinsloo, chairperson of the Soutpansberg Ratepayers Association (SRPA).

“Lack of skill is a big problem. They don’t know the work they must do. And if people don’t know their work, they become stubborn and try to hide behind their stubbornness,” says Mr Maano.

At a meeting with Mr Mashile from the office of the MEC on July 15, different structures were represented to discuss the grievances. The meeting was held at the town library where Mr Mashile experienced firsthand the lack of maintenance, with the toilets not working and potholes all around the library.

The unhappiness and protest is not limited to the town of Louis Trichardt, but is appar-ently very widespread. Executive structures from villages in the Vuwani and Nzhelele area held meetings. Meetings in the Kutama Sinthumule area are also envisaged.

“For 15 years we allowed the municipality to do just what they wanted and we did nothing. Now is the time to correct the wrongs,” was the general feeling after the meetings. It was mentioned that in the village of Matsa, every household has a tap but not a single drop of water has ever flowed, although they have had the infrastructure for five years. An extremely poor community has to buy 20 litres of water at R5.

Concerning the 17 000 properties in the municipal area, 5000 properties are in the town and the other 12 000 are in the surrounding villages and farms.

“The property rates and taxes are too high for us. Proper consultation was not done and the right procedure was not followed. An economic impact study should have been done,” Mr Maano said.

The SRPA declared a dispute with the Makhado Municipality in August last year. A year later, they say that they have exhausted all means to get the municipality to act. The Chairpersons Association and the Agricultural Union also support the mass action.

A letter was sent in June to the MEC of Local Government and Housing, in which the problems resulting in the declaration of the dispute were mentioned. The serious financial problems of the municipality were also emphasised.

A copy was sent to the Makhado mayor.

In a letter, dated June 22, addressed to the Speaker, mayor and municipal manager of the Makhado Municipality, the ratepayers threatened with mass action.

“With this mass action we want to channel the frustration of the taxpayers before they resort to the burning down of municipal property and destroying of councillors houses,” the structures’ spokes-persons said.

In the meantime, the municipality is keeping quiet on the mass action. On July 3, the municipal spokesperson was requested to comment on the threat of mass action. On July 11, comment was requested once again. At the time of going to press, no response had been re-ceived.