MAHIKENG MAIL - MAHIKENG: A 95-year-old woman from Setlopo Utlwanang village has lambasted Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality for failing to pay back the money she paid for the connection of water nine years ago without the service being rendered.
Botho Sinah Moeng, born 15 July 1929, has criticised the municipality saying she is struggling as she pays to get water from her neighbours although she paid R3 768 to the municipality in 2016 for her to enjoy the privilege of having water without bothering anyone in her area. “Firstly I don’t understand why they make us pay for water because the ANC government has promised us, especially people like myself as a senior citizen, free water and then they promised to reimburse me but they failed to do so. They asked me to write a letter explaining what I want to do with the money.
“My question is, why then are they keeping my money after promising me they would pay it back? I am not happy at all because I did not get help - instead, they sent a representative to inspect my premises and that man told me they cannot connect water because we stay far away from where they connect water. He took the slip as proof that I’d paid and left without bringing it back. I suspect he was trying to kill evidence that I had paid. “Can you imagine that I pay R50 every month to fetch water from my neighbours and they are so bitter saying I fetch a lot of water because I have a big family?” fumed Moeng, whose family survives on her pension.
The old lady receives a pension grant which caters for her 24 family members including her four daughters, 14 grand-children and six great-grand-children.
Her daughter, Motlagomang Moseneke, said the old lady was the bread winner and suffered from high blood pressure and asthma and paid R250 (sometimes R300) for transport to ferry her to a nearby clinic which is 8km away from her home.
Moseneke added that five youths from the family have completed school and were unemployed, which increased the burden on her mother to support the entire family.
Save Mahikeng First Organisation leader, David Angoma, said the family has approached them to intervene on the matter. “We plead with the government to pay back the old lady. I’ve contacted the Premier and Mayors to intervene and help her. As leaders in government they should be servants of the people, but we have a problem because all complaints coming from 106 villages surrounding Mahikeng fall on deaf ears,” yelled Angoma.
Premier Lazarus Mokgosi expressed her dissatisfaction that Moeng’s matter has not received attention although he has sought for intervention from relevant authorities.
Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality Municipal Manager, Allan Losaba confirmed he had received the complaint from Angoma regarding Moeng’s challenge.
“I shall conduct the necessary follow up to the matter. Meanwhile, I do know that some people had paid and were refunded. One needs to follow up on the matter,” he said. Save Mahikeng First chairperson, Phumla Kgasi said: “Political parties take people for a ride during elections. The same way that they feel that people’s votes are important should be the same way in which they uphold the dignity of the people.”
