By Tumelo Khotha
After numerous attempts of attaining the presence of the executive mayor of Maluti A Phofung local municipality in the Free State, residents of Pholani, near Intabazwe in Harrismith are finally happy.
It is contended that the residents have attempted numerous times to ask for the executive mayor without success.
They wanted to demonstrate Masetjhaba Mosia-Lakaje, the executive mayor, the inadequate conditions they are living in. Rather, all their attempts didn’t give rise to any sense in the office of the mayor.
According to the resident’s coordinator Neo Motaung, at least three emails have been sent to the mayor to come and witness the conditions without being answered back. Motaung says as the residents, they panned out writing for the provincial MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thembeni Ngxangisa to intervene. He says if the MEC couldn’t respond, they would decide to go and close the main road in a form of embarking on strike.
Eventually, the residents managed to meet with the executive mayor after a long run of attempts. Motaung says they are happy as residents because of the meeting with her alongside her Member of Mayoral Committees.
“We’re much glad that after striving to meet her, our meeting went very well. We have also come up with outcomes for the problems we had.
Among other grievances the residents have is poor service delivery which includes water supply, worthless roads, nepotism, and conspiracy taking place in the municipality.
Mosia-Lakaje, nonetheless, gave rise to the uncomfortable residents in the meeting they held. She says the meeting went well and all problems have been sorted. Mosia-Lakaje has indicated that the water problem will be attended by the municipal water entity as quickly as today.
Although she had mentioned that this is a short term solution, at least this will be a minus problem in their everyday challenge of the residents. “We’ll come back to them soon just to ensure that all problems they have been raised are being well attended, ” says Mosia-Lakaje.
In terms of corruption in the municipality that residents have also spoken of among other grievances they have, the executive mayor said since she’s not good in the investigations, the police will assure that they do their work properly to find where there’s corruption.
She further pointed out that an issue of the sites will be thoroughly looked into by the municipality in a very short period.
Lerato Mphuthi (41), one of the residents was pleased that the municipality attended to their problems before they agreed on embarking on the streets for burning the tires. She says their problems need to be solved just like the ones of residents leaving in Qwaqwa and Kestel.
“We’re also residents of Maluti A Phofung just like the residents leaving in the said places, thus, we need to be dealt with equally, ” she says.
Daily Kasi News 