Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has assured residents that a number of water projects currently underway in Mangaung will be fast-tracked.
Speaking on the sidelines at the Presidential Imbizo in Bloemfontein, Mchunu also welcomed government’s placement of the ailing Mangaung metro under national government administration.
“I’m happy that local government is intervening in Mangaung and taking over the running of the city because things are going to improve. And I know as per the Cabinet decision that the finances of this municipality are also going to be intervened on by the Minister of Finance and Treasury. And therefore all these should result in an improved management of this city because is quite a big place and people have been suffering for quite a long time and with little attention from local because of their own problems. And this is what I was exactly referring to, we are taking a number of decisions.”
Mangaung residents raise concerns
Meanwhile, service delivery shortfalls, corruption, unemployment and illegal immigrants are some of the issues that residents of Bloemfontein say they want President Cyril Ramaphosa to address in his Imbizo.
They say they braved the cold on Saturday to come and tell him the conditions they live under in Bloemfontein.
“Our pavements are bad, its uncomfortable to walk on them, the roads are also in a terrible state and bad for our cars. There are potholes everywhere and sewage leakage,” says one resident.
Another resident adds: “We don’t have a place to stay. the municipality says they can’t find land to buy. It’s been 10 to 15 years that we sit without our own land. We don’t get any services.”
CoGTA Minister assures Mangaung residents that departments will work together
Speaking during the Presidential Imbizo, Dlamini-Zuma said she would soon be back in Mangaung to ensure the city is returned to its former glory.
Presidential Imbizo heads to the Free State
Unemployed social workers want permanent employment
A group of unemployed social workers has appealed to president Cyril Ramaphosa to help them get permanent employment.
Amahle Nakasa says they don’t want internships only but want to be employed full-time.
“As Dlamini-Zuma mentioned, there is rife GBV (gender-based violence) in Bloemfontein. In fact, it’s the second pandemic in South Africa as a whole. There is [a] problem with drugs and those require social worker services. And social workers are there and unemployed. So all we are asking, Mr President, is that there must be enough allocation for funding of social workers on a permanent basis,” says Nakasa.
