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Nightmare for all awaits ‘Local regime are not patriots, but leeches on the system’ Marti Will IT is virtually a fait accompli that Matjhabeng’s water and electricity will be cut off. The question is not if, but when. So says Evyn Thorne, president of the Matjhabeng Ratepayers Association. “The politicians are playing games with the people’s futures. Matjhabeng owes in excess of R500 million to Sedibeng Water. As of the end of October the Eskom arrears were R239,7 million. The politicians have defied the court order instructing them to pay Eskom and they have dishonoured the payment agreement with Sedibeng,” says Thorne. Eskom will, however, be immediate, terrible and total darkness. Without electricity there will be no petrol for generators, banks will not be able to operate, businesses will have to close their doors, security of property and assets will be compromised or non-existent, and so the terrible cataclysmic nightmare scenario unfolds.” “Because they reneged on the court order, they will get no sympathy or legal recourse from the courts when these two entities cut the services to Matjhabeng,” concurs Aubrey Nyschens, founder of the Matjhabeng Ratepayer’s Association. “This situation will affect every single citizen of Matjhabeng. The resultant losses of a cut-off by the two suppliers to the entire region will be indescribable and irrecoverable. The job losses will be immense as no business or household will be able to function. “This is a total disregard of our rights. The wastefulness of our council is disgusting. There is no plan in place for the maintenance of the system. There is no bylaw compliance in Matjhabeng. The entire situation is a big joke – total anarchy.” The economic momentum of Matjhabeng is reaching its end. Added to this is the mine closures. The decline of this region is reaching catastrophic proportions,and still people and businesses are leaving in droves. Eleven major firms of long standing and stability have already closed their doors forever in Welkom, which is affecting the unemployment figure even more. This figure is the highest in the country (37% of total population and 49,7% of the youth), they are destroying economical viability and trust in our region. Thorne says the compliant citizens of
A flood of emotions AMID total panic of the impending wa ter cut to the entire Matjhabeng, resi dents using Con stantia Road just before the Thabong Police Station on Wednesday mor ning were confron ted by thousands of litres of fresh drin king water strea ming down the ro ad.”The politicians are playing games with the people’s fu tures. Matjhabeng owes in excess of R500 million to Se dibeng for water, with no decision or proposal for pay ment.” – Evyn Thor ne Photo: Teboho Setana (Goldfields Express)
Matjhabeng are on the verge of declaring a dispute with Matjhabeng. “The maladministration of the executive mayor, Sebenzile Ngangelizwe, is shrouded in secrecy. He and his council are withholding the Eskom/Sedibeng information from us. We will again be forced to use the Access to Information Act to get this information. We want to know who gives them the right to use the ratepayers’ money to spend almost a week in KwaZulu-Natal, among other wasteful expenses they incur. But the chequebook will now run dry. “The politicians are complicit in the diabolitical destruction of Matjhabeng.” Thorne says the value of assets in Matjhabeng are downgrading at an astronomical rate. “I say this as a leading estate agent in the region. The devaluation of property is frightening. The people in control of our local regime are not patriots, but leeches on the system. “They must remember they are
employed by the ratepayers. The honeymoon is over. There are no economic appointments with qualifications and skills in the municipality. Just political disasters,” says Nyschens. “If our services are cut off in the festive season, when people have left on holiday, the damage will be irrecoverable to the entire population. We are facing two situations. The water, constutionally, may not be cut dry, but we will be left with a dribble if we are lucky and if we are not situated at the end of the pipeline. There are four entry taps to Welkom controlling the water supply from Sedibeng. “This is really a desperate situation and unless the ratepayers take a stance, the outcome will be devastating,” says Nyschens. “The Matjhabeng Ratepayer’s Association is going to apply to the Constitutional Court to cancel the feeder agreements between Matjhabeng and Sedibeng and Eskom. This step will force National
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Treasury to step in and take over control of Matjhabeng. “The council is currently using the government equitable share to pay Eskom and Sedibeng. This money is actually earmarked for the maintenance of Matjhabeng, its towns and its formal settlements. Who gives them the right to use the people’s money to pay Eskom and Sedibeng? “The ratepayers’ are, after huge consideration, concluding that prevention is better than cure. We will apply to the Constitutional Court that Sedibeng and Eskom supply directly to us. We, the ratepayers, will directly pay them and cut out the middle man. When we succeed the effect on our municipality will be immense. There will be no more top heavy administration, just streamlined effectiveness. “Our entire society has collapsed, health wise and wealth wise, and only we can do something about it.”
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