“Operational teams from different wards of Goedgevonden and Boikhutsong in Ventersdorp local municipality will be formed to deal with all service delivery related issues. The teams will in partnership with the municipality, consult with all sector departments to ensure resolution of all issues.” These are the words of the Acting North West MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Paul Sebegoe, during a public participation programme held at Goedgevonden near Ventersdorp over the weekend.
The public participation programme was an initiative of the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, in response to violent service delivery protests in which communities of Goedgevonden and Boikhutsong complained about lack of low-cost housing, shortage of water and electricity, lack of job opportunities for youth, incomplete road projects, poor road maintenance and high rate of crime, corruption and nepotism in the municipality.
MEC Sebego was leading a government delegation which comprised of MEC for Human Settlement, Public Safety and Liaison, Nono Maloyi, Heads of Departments, Executive and Senior Managers and representatives from other departments.
Following the range of service delivery concerns registered by residents from different municipal wards, MEC Sebegoe said the operational teams will come in handy to ensure speedy resolution of all the issues.
“These operational teams will be assisted by officials from the department but will also consist of community members from different wards. Such teams will work hand in glove with the local municipality and relevant sector departments. They will then report back to the community in a form of ward meetings and make follow-up meetings to completely deal with concerns raised. The teams will only be disbanded once all matters have been resolved,” said MEC Sebegoe.
The Mayor of Ventersdorp, Cecilia Phoyane, also pronounced that “through (Sector Education and Training Authority) SETA, youth in the area will be trained and up-skilled in different fields, unclean water will be tested on a regular basis, electricity project to electrify low-cost houses will commence soon, roads project will be completed in few weeks and public participation will be increased.
Those living in the farming areas and have registered with the municipality will be provided with paraffin, candles and stoves. Through business forums we have suggested to the power utility Eskom that copper cables must be replaced with another form of cable to avoid weekly electricity cut-offs as a result of copper cable theft,” said Mayor Phoyane.
Community members were also urged to utilise relevant platforms to raise their concerns rather than resorting to illegal violent protest action.
