Question NW3231 to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
20 November 2023 - NW3231
Van Der Walt, Ms D to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Whether, with reference to the total collapse of municipal services in the town of Ohrigstad, under the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality in Limpopo, her department intends to take steps to intervene to ensure (a) daily electricity supply, (b) clean drinking water, (c) maintenance of all local streets, (d) proper road and traffic signage, (e) functional municipal offices with qualified officials, (f) the implementation of all by-laws, (g) approval of all buildings in accordance with the zoning allowed in the planning department and (h) the cleaning, safety and accessibility of the new sports stadium in town?
Reply:
There is no collapse, let alone total collapse, of municipal services in the town of Ohrigstad, under the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality in Limpopo Province. To the contrary, the municipality is delivering municipal services as outlined below:
- There is continuous supply of electricity in Ohrigstad, except during scheduled times of national loadshedding.
- The Sekhukhune District Municipality is the water Services Authority for the FTLM area. in the town of Ohrigstad, the source of the water is a privately owned borehole that supplies a Water Treatment Works operated by Lepelle Northern Water Board where treatment takes place before distributing to residents.
- Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) is currently developing an Urban Integrated Roads and Stormwater Master Plan for Ohrigstad, Burgersfort, Steelpoort and other proclaimed townships to assist with planning, budgeting and implementing road construction and maintenance for municipal roads. SDM and the Provincial Government are responsible for district and provincial roads respectively that are in FTLM are of jurisdiction. The Master Plan also aims to address road and traffic signage.
- In September 2023, FTLM appointed a new regional manager for the Ohrigstad Regional Office to manage services and ensure functional municipal offices. The manager appointed has already reported for duty.
- The FTLM has in place Building Regulations that it enforces. In this current financial year, the Municipality is in the process of appointing a service provider to conduct audits on illegal land use and buildings in Burgersfort, Ohrigstad and Steelpoort as a measure to strength enforcement of by-laws.
- From 1 June 2023 the municipality commenced with cleaning services and maintenance of open spaces in Ohrigstad Town through a service provider appointed for a period of 36 months.
In accordance with section 154 of the Constitution, the Department of Corporate Governance (DCOG), through the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA), provides technical support to FTLM for infrastructure development throughout the whole project life on all infrastructure grants. Should FTLM fail to perform its functions, national government will intervene following the intervention of the provincial government in terms of section 139 of the Constitution.
End.