Mpumalanga MECs visit Balfour in Dipaleseng Municipality to assess progress
9 April 2010
The MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Mr Norman Mokoena
and the MEC for Human Settlement Mr Madala Masuku have visited the Dipaleseng
Local Municipality. The MECs were accompanied by the Executive Mayor of Gert
Sibande District Municipality Cllr Andries Gamede and the Executive Mayor of
Dipaleseng Cllr Lefty Tsotetsi. The aim of the visit by the MECs was to assess
the progress made in dealing with issues that were agreed upon when the Minister
of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Mr Sicelo Shiceka visited the
municipality in February this year.
After the visit the MECs acknowledged that whilst most of the work was still
work in progress, significant progress has been made in dealing with the issues.
MEC Norman Mokoena says that the visit has been a very positive one and it
allowed them to get first hand information as to what the real situation is on
the ground and the communities’ reaction to the progress. “We are pleased with
the positive spirit that has been displayed by the community in working with the
government in dealing with the issues that have affected them. The community
members that l interacted with are very receptive of government’s projects and
they acknowledge that this will bring an improvement in their lives” said
Mokoena.
MEC Madala Masuku indicated that he was satisfied with the progress that was
being made to deal with the incomplete houses, and that he has instructed the
department to develop an acceleration plan to fastrack the process. MEC Masuku
also indicated that he was not satisfied with the progress that was being made
in completing the steel structures in Mandela section, Siyathemba and this is a
matter that his department will deal with urgently. “The visit has not only
enabled me to assess the progress being made with dealing with the housing
projects but it has also enabled me to visit other housing projects, where l saw
some unsatisfactory work. We will be sending in a team of technical experts from
the department immediately to do a technical assessment of these houses” said
Masuku.
The MECs visited the following projects in Balfour; construction of a disaster
management centre, construction of Department of Social Development Offices, and
paving of Dyer and Stuart Streets; and in Grootvlei they visited an
electrification project of 387 houses, 1,5 kilometre road under construction,
renovation Tekamo Service Centre
and Amukeleni Primary School by Burnstone Mine and the installation of water
taps in 600 households; in Greylingstad and Nthoroane they visited the community
hall which is still under construction, a 1, 5 kilometre road under construction
and the Itumeleng Service Center renovated by Burnstone Mine.
The problem of water quality that has affected the municipality for a long time
has been resolved through the cleaning of water reservoirs by the Department of
Water Affairs and the Municipality. MEC Mokoena visited one of the households in
Siyathemba, where drank water with members of the household.
The visit by the MECs culminated in the official handover of a water borehole to
the community of Sophia farm in Balfour. This community had been without access
to portable water.
MEC Mokoena also called upon the community to continue working with the
government and the municipality in dealing with issues that are affecting them.
“We appreciate the positive work that has been done by the task team that was
set up to deal with the problems and we will continue to visit the municipality
to assess the progress being made” said Mokoena.
Enquiries:
Simphiwe Kunene
Cell: 082 413 3931
Issued by: Mpumalanga Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional
Affairs
