Over 1500 households to benefit from municipal basic services
Over 1500 households are to benefit from the free municipal basic services following the registration of indigents during the Accelerated Service Delivery Programme – Thuntsha Lerole in line with Free Basic Service policy guideline.
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs working with various municipalities embarked on a drive to educate communities on how to access free basic municipal services such as water; electricity and refuse removal during the Accelerated Service Delivery Programme - Thuntsha Lerole hosted in different municipalities since it was launched few months ago.
Thuntsha Lerole is a service delivery programme that is intended to bring government services closer to communities, facilitate interaction between government and various communities. The programme has been launched in all four districts of the province and is now being rolled out in local municipalities.
According to the Free Basic Services policy guideline, a household with an income not exceeding two (2) old age grants qualifies for 6 kiloliters of water and 50 kilowatts of electricity on a monthly basis.
Maletsatsi Setlhare (56) from of Tlaakgameng village in Kagisano Molopo local municipality appreciated the Thuntsha Lerole initiative by the provincial government.
“Some of us live far from where provincial government departments are based. We really appreciate this effort of bringing government services to our doorsteps. I have registered for free basic services, hopefully my application will go through so that my family can have free electricity and water”, he said.
Setlhare who is unemployed added that the initiative came at the right time when the economy is at its worst and people cannot afford even the basics in life. “I encourage people to come in numbers to benefit from this initiative and register for the indigent services”, he said.
More and more indigents are expected to be registered to benefit from the Free Basic Services policy as Thuntsha Lerole programme continues to change the lives of ordinary citizens in various localities, week in week out.
As part of the activities for Thuntsha Lerole, the department also deployed Expanded Public Works (EPWP) participants to clean illegal dumping sites and educate various communities about waste management.
An indigent policy is part of the comprehensive social security framework that supports the country’s poor population. The indigent policy affords poor households a portion of specific municipal services free every month. They include free basic water, free basic energy, free basic alternative energy, free sanitation and free basic refuse removal.
Enquiries:
Tumelo Maruping
Cell: 079 984 5807
Dineo Thapelo
Cell: 072 218 2559
