Byline: Refeloe Letsoisa

26 September 2023

Within the past few weeks, the mayoral service delivery program, Ijima Lokuhlwengusa, took place around the local communities of Govan Mbeki Municipality on Friday, 04 August 2023 at Bethal Town Hall.

The Executive Mayor of GMM, Cllr. Nhlakanipho Zuma, led a team of councilors, management, and officials from various departments to do service delivery inspections and to use the opportunity to engage with residents and hear their frustrations.

This ongoing program is aimed at improving the quality of services provided to residents and identifying areas where service delivery can be improved by focusing on potholes, illegal dumping, graveling roads, grass cutting, sewer spillage, blockages of pipes, pipe leakages, blocked storms, water drains, and law enforcement-related issues.

Litter picking and illegal dumping removal on the R38 in Bethal took place on the first day of the outreach program.

The Executive Mayor stated that the municipality cannot sit back while community members suffer from these challenges.

“We have the resources, so let us make a difference,” said Cllr. Nhlakanipho Zuma, GMM Executive Mayor.On the last day at Emzinoni, the Executive Mayor, Chief Whip, Cllr. Joseph Mtsweni, and Speaker, Cllr. Fikile Magagamela, along with some councilors, visited the family of 16-year-old twins who suffer from xeroderma pigmentosum (rare autosomal recessive disorder), whereby a grocery was handed over to the family.

The mayoral service delivery program went on to eMbalenhle South, where illegal dumping removal took place in Ext 15 on Friday, 18 August 2023.

“It would be great for us to work as a team and support the Executive Mayor in making GMM ‘a model city of excellence’ by 2030,” said Cllr. Fikile Magagamela.

The program continued for more than three weeks, during which illegal power cutting took place in Welas with MMC of Budget and Revenue Enhancement, Cllr. Jabu Zwane, during an unannounced operation in an informal settlement known as Marikana.

The municipal team went out to repair the road at the Emba Mall entrance.

With that said, residents were informed about the refurbishment of the Sijongile Ndamase Community Hall in eMbalenhle.

The Ijima Lokuhlwengisa program continued at Ext 21 and 25 in Kinross on Friday, 08 September 2023 by improving gravel roads by installing pavement.

Following all the local communities visited, the mayoral service delivery went on to Leandra Town (Leslie) on Friday, 15 September 2023 whereby an unannounced visit by GMM Law Enforcement officials, SAPS, and the Department of Home Affairs to selected shops within Leandra.

It is alleged that a foreign-owned shop was closed for selling expired food products to the public.

Some of these items included cold drinks, canned goods, and sweets, and all items were confiscated.

The program continues by revisiting the communities and improving the quality of services provided to residents.