Thulamela Local Municipality Mayor Athongozwidivha Rambuda came face to face with the realities of rural service delivery when she visited Ward 6 last Friday — and she did not shy away from what she heard.
Despite heavy rain and biting cold, residents from Ha Lambani and surrounding villages converged at Tshihothi Sports Ground on Friday, 13 March, for the Lambani Mayoral Imbizo, held under the Mphaphuli Tribal Council. Led by acting traditional leader Vhamusanda Tshidino Lambani, community members used the platform to raise longstanding grievances over roads, water and safety directly with the mayor and her entourage of councillors.
Community leader Ndivhuwo Makhuvha was among those who spoke plainly about the village’s struggles.
“As the village of Ha Lambani is situated in the deep rural areas, it seems to us that we are forgotten by our local Thulamela municipality, and this is because our villages are not even included in the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) programme of the municipality. The road leading to the local clinic, from the T-junction of Gunda to Ha Lambani village, needs paving or to be tarred — during rainy times like this, it is slippery and the places are regarded as no-go areas,” he said.
Makhuvha told the mayor that upgrading the area’s roads would improve mobility for Ha Lambani residents, connecting the village with communities near the Punda Maria gate of the Kruger National Park, as well as clinics, schools and other essential services.
“Upgrading our road infrastructure will also help to create job opportunities for the local people in a poverty-stricken community like this one in Nzanwe. We also understand that in our nearby community, water shortages are affecting our communities — without clean water from the taps, our communities will suffer,” he added.
Residents also raised concerns about crime, including housebreaking and rape, which they said were rife across Ward 6, urging the municipality to install Apollo lights to help deter criminal activity.
The mayor’s visit went beyond the imbizo itself. Before addressing the crowd at Tshihothi Sports Ground, Rambuda and her entourage — accompanied by Ward 6 Councillor Rendani Lalumbe — made a personal visit to the home of disabled resident Mmboniseni Mulovhedzi (48) in Nzanwe village. Mulovhedzi received an RDP house in 2000, but strong winds a year later blew away the roof, leaving him and his family to shelter in two separate mud huts that risk collapsing under the ongoing heavy rains. The municipality promised to rebuild his house and donated food parcels and blankets during the visit.
Councillor Lalumbe noted that Ward 6 encompasses several villages, including Nzanwe, Mahangala and Lukalo, among others — a sprawling, underserved area that the imbizo sought to bring back into focus.
Speaking to the gathered residents, Mayor Rambuda acknowledged the challenges head-on and committed to action.
“We cannot stand on the sidelines when rural communities such as Ha Lambani, Nzanwe and Tshamulavhu are not getting better services. I promise to fast-track delivering services to the affected communities,” she said.
Rambuda added that the municipality had been allocated over R19-million to rebuild roads and infrastructure damaged by heavy rains across the municipality, with approximately six months to complete the work — a tangible commitment to the communities that had long felt left behind.