RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - On Thursday, 6 March, a public participation meeting was held in the Old Town Hall to discuss and address service delivery concerns within Rustenburg.
The meeting was attended by residents from Wards 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 42 and 43, staff of Rustenburg Local Municipality (RLM) and Ward Councillors.
The meeting, unfortunately very poorly attended, included an annual report (2023/2024) on items such as financial and service delivery performance.
In this report, there were particular items that the Rustenburg Herald took note of. This included a shortfall of 38% in job creation and the fact that skills development dropped from 99.54% in 2022/2023 to 17.3% in 2023/2024, which is a staggering difference.
Many residents of Rustenburg would also be appalled (but not surprised) that RLM largest source of revenue is from service charges (47%), but it seems that the delivery on these innings is severely lacking. The biggest operating expenditures were from bulk purchases, (38%, which was not broken down for the attendees) and secondly, from impairment loss (depreciation in market value due to normal wear and tear) at 18%. Captial expenditure increased from 50% in 2022/2023 to 57% in 2023/2024.
Rustenburg Herald's journalist did, however, query one particular finding on the report, which indicated that there had been 94% progress with the building of the Tlhabane West Sports Grounds. This after a report by the Democratic Alliance, released in early February, that indicated that the project had come to an almost complete halt and no construction had been observed - although R20 million had been allocated by means of a Municipal Infrastructure Grant, whereof R17.5 million had been spent.
Finally, it was indicated that RLM obtained a Qualified Audit Opinion from the Auditor General for the mentioned financial year and that a post-audit action plan had been developed to address and correct audit findings to improve governance and operational efficiency - which remains to be seen.
After the conclusion of the annual report findings, the floor was opened to residents to voice particular concerns. Not surprising, residents expressed significant concerns regarding service delivery, including frequent and prolonged electrical and water supply issues. To exacerbate this crisis, communication from RLM is severely lacking as residents do not receive planned interruption notices or progress reports on interruptions.
Concerns were raised regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of the Call Centre's operations, including qualifications and training of staff. It was suggested that a thorough review of the Call Centre's operations be conducted, and that proper training or systems be implemented to ensure that staff is adequately equipped to manage and resolve resident concerns.
RLM cited the unusually high rainfall this year as a primary contributing factor to electrical outages and acknowledged aging electrical infrastructure as a factor that increased power failures. A representative of RLM in the electrical department clarified that moisture that seeps through the ground, affects faulty cabling, contributing to electrical outages.
Once again, cable theft was identified as a major concern, and it was stated that the municipality is collaborating with SAPS and private security companies to address this problem. It was also confirmed that three employees of RLM is currently under investigation for alleged cable theft.
One resident raised the question of staff shortages, especially in the electrical department and RLM confirmed that currently only three technicians are assigned to each shift. Of these three, only one is a qualified electrician, with the other two being assistants. This is a clear indication of why electrical outages take so long to be rectified and why many complaints take so long to be attended to.
The municipality stated that they are aiming to increase staffing of qualified technicians and to address this, as RLM has submitted a request for increased funding to the financial department.
In the area of Zinniaville, concerns were raised regarding the fact that some areas have been without water supply for over a month. An RLM representative stated that they were unaware of the problem and would investigate. Ward Councillors were also requested to assist with reporting of water leaks and blockages, when reported by residents. In an effort to alleviate this problem, RLM stated that the construction of a new reservoir will be completed by the end of April.
Comments by residents after completion of the meeting included: "I am heartbroken. Those people, they just don't care. No remorse or any sense of accountability... or any strategic plan to be implemented to resolve this disaster."
Another resident remarked, "Our infrastructure and service delivery has collapsed, my hope is gone. People are helpless and voiceless, because we are led by heartless and unreliable leadership."
On the increasing, serious concern of gaping potholes in the Platina region one resident remarked: "We need to duck and dodge when driving. I wonder where the foreman and managers are driving, where they cannot see these potholes, because they're everywhere."
