City of Tshwane MMC for Finance Jacqui Uys engaged the residents of Mamelodi at the Ikageng Section Hall regarding the 2022/2023 Auditor General’s report.
The engagement took place on Saturday morning.
Residents were given an opportunity to asked MMC Uys questions.
Amongst the guests were City of Tshwane MMC for Finance Jacqui Uys, Region 6 head group Persia Sekati, councilor Sabelo Collen Marishane, officials from the city of Tshwane and residents of Mamelodi, Eersterus.
She said though the meeting was specifically called to discuss the Auditors report, service delivery issues took Centre stage and that as officials of the City they had to listen to the grievances of the residents in this regard.
“In Ikageng section of Mamelodi there is a big concern regarding lack of water, and this is caused by illegal connections into the local reservoirs and the city is looking at resolving the crisis in the next couple of months,” said Uys.
“I do believe that the community has appreciated the fact that we as politicians have reached out to them and engage them regarding their concerns but in some cases, we can’t resolve all issues on the spot and this may lead to frustrations among some of them,” she explained.
Regarding those who have connected water and electricity illegally at the reservoir, Uys responded as follows:
“I don’t like giving people warnings, but we can’t be a city where illegal things happen, we have to be a city that abides by the rule of law and therefore call on the residents of Tshwane to do the right thing at the right time,” said Uys.
Uys delved into the controversial Tshwane Ya Tima campaign and explained that it was not only about switching off people’s services but was mainly about finding out those who can pay but were refusing to do so, while at the same time inviting those who can’t pay to take care of their debts to the municipality’s and make arrangements to pay.
Uys encouraged those who can’t pay to register for the City’s indigent programne, the Poorest of the Poor (POP) programme or make submissions to the Affordability Assessment Committee.
She revealed that at some point she visited the reservoirs by the mountainside in Mamelodi East as an inspection process but was threatened and chased away from the area by irate residents who are occupying the land illegally and have also made illegal water and electricity connections there.
She said the municipality will sort out the water crisis caused by illegal connections at the reservoirs around the end of July and that it was not fair that thugs who steal water and electricity via illegal connections were benefitting more than law-abiding residents who pay for consumption of services rendered to them by the municipality.
Region 6 head group Persia Sekati who had accompanied Uys to the meeting explained that reservoirs are currently being fenced off to prevent illegal connections so that it can be filled up to the maximum, thus allowing all residents to have water in their households.
She revealed that budget cuts for services in the City of Tshwane will gradually stop as there was now done money which had been generated via Tshwane Ya Tima campaign.
She pointed out that due to increased budgets, the City of Tshwane has managed to cut shrubs and talk grasses at various parks and cemeteries in Mamelodi and Eersterust.
She pointed out that illegal water and electricity connections were the root cause of the crisis of such services in Mamelodi and assured residents that the water crisis will be resolved immediately while the electricity crisis will take a longer time to sort out.
An elderly resident of Ikageng section told the City of Tshwane officials that the area has been without water for five years now and that Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Fikile Mbalula, the Public Protector and the City of Tshwane know about the water problem, but nothing has been done thus far.
Theresia Lehlokoana requested the officials to repair a transformer in her area which always stops working at around 4 and 6 pm every day, thus leaving local households without electricity.
Lehlokoana also pointed out that the project of removing asbestos roofing from households and replacing them with zinc roofing has not been completed.
Sbusiso Mathelele of Ward 40 complained that illegal electricity connections are caused by the fact that some sections in Phomolong informal have electricity while others do not have it, thus compelling those who lack electricity to make illegal connections.
He appealed to the municipality to install electricity in all areas of Ward 40.