Judging by Makhado Mayor Shonisani Sinyosi's state-of-the-municipality and 2017/18 budget speech, the Makhado Municipality has placed a renewed emphasis on service delivery this coming financial year.
"…our communities, through last year's local government elections, have made a clarion call to this ANC-led Council, that we must respect them, involve them, consult them, report to them when we plan and execute our municipal integrated development plans and projects," said Sinyosi during her speech at the Dzanani Community Hall last Friday. Adding to this, she said that Council should critically reflect on the performance of the municipality during the 2015/16 financial year when mapping the way forward.
Strategic Planning
As part of the renewed focus on service delivery, Sinyosi said that the municipality had convened a successful strategic planning workshop involving all councillors and senior management. "The purpose was to identify key areas of intervention and to map out a five-year strategic plan that will guide Council to improve the quality of lives of the people of Makhado," said Sinyosi.
Some of the issues addressed during the strategic planning workshop included:
* The urgent need to increase bulk electricity and water capacity to fulfil the region's economic growth and development needs with the municipality;
* Engaging the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) and other relevant institutions to finalize the transfer of the status of water service authority back to the Makhado Municipality;
* That the municipality should support LED projects, promote SMMEs, support entrepreneurship development in tourism, agriculture and mining within the context of the proposed Makhado/Musina Special Economic Zone (SEZ);
* Procure machinery for street grading in villages;
* Provide holistic and integrated waste-management services in town and the rural areas;
* Construct a city hall with multipurpose sports, recreational and retail facilities to attract provincial and national events and business;
* Promote arts and culture by providing more recreational facilities, community halls, and stadiums in all regions of the municipality;
* Re-looking at the town's name-change initiative; and
* To utilize the municipal aerodrome effectively for the economic benefit of the municipality.
"Development is about people, and therefore the budget must be a reflection of their express wishes and an institutional commitment of resources to address the needs of our people," said Sinyosi. Many of the issues identified during the strategic planning workshop are thus already being addressed in the 2017/18 capital budget.
Bulk Electricity and electrification
With regard to bulk electricity supply, Sinyosi said that Louis Trichardt's main substation would be upgraded this year from 44 MVA to 66 MVA. For the first time ever, Songozwi Village will also be electrified, while Eskom and the Makhado Municipality will jointly provide electrical connections to 67 households in Madabani (Phase 2), 628 households at Rathidili (Phase 2), 160 households at Mavhunga-Muromani (Phase 2) and 54 households at Maname Paradise (Phase 2). A total of R25 million was allocated for the above-mentioned projects. R13,2 million was also allocated to allow Eskom to electrify a further 814 households at Esdras/Mingard village, Siloam extension, Muhovhoya extension, Muungamunwe (Phase 2) and Raliphaswa village respectively. Makhado itself will implement electrical connections at Pfumembe, Tshitwi, Afton, Sane, Straighthardt, Maranikwe, Doli-Doli, Smokey, Divhani, Posaito, Ngundu, Khomele, Khunda, Matshavhawe and Ramantsha at a cost of R3 million. In total, 2057 households will be supplied with electrical connections this coming financial year.
Water and Sanitation
Sinyosi said that water remained a matter of life and death. "We remain concerned that the water service authority is still with the district municipality, at the expense of our immediate communities. We shall continue to work with the Vhembe district and other government authorities to find long-term solutions to the household and bulk water supply challenge in the municipal area. The reality directly affects our growth as a town and a municipality," said Sinyosi.
Roads and Infrastructure
Also included in the 2017/18 capital budget are several labour-intensive projects in regard of roads and infrastructure. The projects include:
* The Sereni Themba to Mashamba post office access road (R16 693 775);
* The construction of a second waste disposal cell at the newly built dumping site outside Louis Trichardt that will open on 1 July (R2 196 000);
* Access road to new landfill site (R500 000);
* The Tshikwarani to Zamekomste Road (R13 million);
* Tshedza to Vuvha Access road (R14 million);
* Mbhokota, Gombita, Tshivhuyuni to Mphagi road, phase 2 (R14 million);
* Valdezia access road, phase 2 (R14 million);
* Fencing off of the Makhado municipal cemetery (R1 million);
* Mudimeli bridge and access road (R10 million);
* Erf 210 Burger Street market revitalization project (R500 000);
* Waterval Region refuse transfer station (R1 million); and
* Erection of eight high masts (R2 million).
"We have received very clear calls by the communities of Eltivillas, Newtown (Louis Trichardt) and Makhado Park on specific service delivery concerns that they have. This includes debushing of areas with high bushes, potholes in the town, water quality and supply shortages, entrance and exit roads in town, ramps and speed humps and the high level of crime. We have received a clear request from the Makhado Sector Policing Forum that we install cameras in the town, so that we can digitally monitor our streets for any criminal activities and policing interventions," said Sinyosi.
The above is a summary of Sinyosi's budget speech. Over the next couple of weeks, the newspaper will do more in-depth articles on the different projects and budget allocations. The most significant part that was absent from Sinyosi's budget speech was any mention on how the municipality will fund all these projects and what their Operational Budget entails. The Operational Budget, among other, deals with rates and taxes and how much more consumers will have to fork out this coming financial year. The newspaper is in the process of obtaining a complete copy of the Operational Budget and will also report on it as soon as the information becomes available.