MUNICIPAL
NEWS STEVE TSHWETE LOCAL MUNICIPALITY A sterling model of effective and high quality municipal service delivery Steve Tshwete Local Municipality spokesperson, Prudence Magutle, said their municipality is “a progressive and thriving municipality with a worldclass infrastructure and an extensive road network that is well-constructed and regularly. “
Executive Mayor: Cllr. Mhlonishwa Masilela
Newly elected Mayor, Mhlonishwa Masilela, starts the new dministration’s term with confidence as he believes that Steve Tshwete Local Municipality will keep on attaining the excellence it’s known for from 2022 and beyond. The municipality, which sits in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, has a good story of impressive service delivery to tell. Unlike some of the municipalities in the province and the country which have regular challenges of lack of service delivery and non-payment of municipal rates and services, Steve Tshwete is in a league of its own. It is a relatively small municipality with its municipal area covering approximately 3993 square kilometres and includes towns such as Middelburg, Mhluzi, Hendrina, Kwazamokuhle, Rietkuil and Pullenshope among others.
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Municipal Focus
She said they are proud to have the highest level of water management and quality, certified with a Blue Drop Status and “the most Blue Drop awards in the province with six awards.” She said their financial position, boosted by their impressive consistent revenue collection rate, is what has enabled the municipality to deliver services seamlessly. With a revenue collection rate which has hovered around 100% for years, the municipality has been able to get roads including in its main township Mhluzi tarred, well-maintained and with clear road markings. “Financially, the municipality has the exemplary record of a 100% payment
rate since 2005. As a result of this achievement, we have become a model of effective and high quality municipal service delivery for the rest of South Africa,” she said. The municipality is one of the 27 in the country to receive clean audits in the 2019/2020 financial year, and the municipality’s five clean consecutive audits awards shows that proper financial processes are consistently adhered to. The municipality has also managed to build well-equipped public amenities including parks. Infrastructure such as street lights and water mains are regularly maintained, with locals rarely experiencing water cuts due to faults caused by ageing or unmaintained infrastructure. The infrastructure in Mhluzi which includes traffic lights and CCTV cameras ranks better than many other SA townships. Surveillance cameras were installed by the municipality along the main roads in the township to help prevent crime
