Deputy President David Mabuza has urged communities in the Maluti-A-Phofung District Municipality to play their part and pay for municipal services.
He has told the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) during a reply to oral questions that the current administration can no longer blame apartheid’s spatial planning for its failures. He says there are many people who work for the municipality as well as provincial and national government – but are not paying for services.
“All these people are supposed to contribute. They are supposed to pay for services. Because these people are employed. All people cannot behave like they are indigent they don’t want to pay for services that they consume. Well the grievance is that they are not billed correctly. As much as you are not billed correctly you are consuming. Pay what you think you have consumed and then you can query the rest,” says Mabuza.
Mabuza promises solutions for water, electricity crisis in the Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality:
Mabuza says government interventions in the municipality have so far failed to produce results. He says the main problem in the municipality is poor leadership and failure to consult with residents.
The Deputy President says a major problem that needs urgent attention is the payment of the debt the municipality owes Eskom.
He says the process is under way to allow Eskom to collect revenue for the municipality as directed by the courts earlier this month.
Mabuza says government is on the ground in the municipality trying to help it overcome its problems.
“It’s one thing to put an intervention that does not bring waster to the people. You put an intervention that does not bring electricity to the people. Day in and day out we take each other to court and that does not solve the problem. I can assure people in MAP that they will get electricity but they must pay for the electricity. They will get water but they must pay for the water,” says Mabuza.
Deputy President David @DDMabuza on #ServiceDelivery in Maluti-A-Phofung#MabuzaOralReplies pic.twitter.com/jEIyZe9yMK
— Presidency | South Africa ?? (@PresidencyZA) June 15, 2021
