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No respite from stray cattle as another collision occurs 1/2 Share GK CRONJE 26 July 2022 The injured animal caused extensive damaged to the bewildered driver. Over the course of several years, cattle owners have systematically circumvented the by-laws of Msukaligwa Local Municipality (MLM) with regards to the care, control and branding of cattle and other stray animals. These individuals have also taken advantage of MLM’s lax attitude and have erected pens and makeshift shelters for farm animals in several wards. Despite the municipality’s by-laws stating that no person may keep farm animals in an enclosure or stable within 15 meters of any boundary of any land, dwelling, building or any structure used for human habitation, or 50 meters of any water resource or water supply intended or used for human consumption, transgressors live their best lives without consequence. The unenforced by-laws are wholly ignored, creating a vicious cycle of frustration, property damage and danger for motorists and residents. Various residents have reported that their dogs get uncontrollably riled up by stray livestock roaming the residential wards, most notably in the De Bruin Park area. Although it is mandated by the Animal Identification Act, Act 6 of 2000, a large percentage of the stray animals roaming the CBD, roadways, wards and surrounding areas are unmarked and unbranded. The fact that there are no longer pounding services offered by local companies makes life extremely difficult for residents and road users alike. Stray animals and cattle impede the flow of traffic, and have been the cause of many an accident in the vicinity of Ermelo. In rare cases, a cattle herder can be seen lazily coaxing the animals through residential areas, but in the majority of instances these animals are left to their own devices. The inherent danger of stray cattle is especially notable on the N11 Ermelo-Hendrina road, where several serious collisions have been caused by these nuisance strays. These animals are also becoming a nuisance on the N17 and N2, where several instances of collisions with stray cattle have been reported. Due to the municipalitys complete and utter disregard of by-law enforcement, stray cattle issues are expanding deeper into the residential wards, and have also become a nuisance in the CBD, where these animal blindly lumber over busy roadways, oblivious to traffic. In addition to this, stray cattle and animals within wards demolish gardens, tear open refuse bags and unnecessarily rile up neighborhood dogs. On previous occasions, MLM stated that residents should contact the call centre to report such incidents. However, the complete inefficiency of the call centre, coupled with the complete lack of response from municipal departments have made this statement all but redundant. Although the municipal by-laws grants the municipality the power to rapidly fill their coffers by impounding and selling stray animals if they are not collected by their owners, the motivation seems to be lacking for unknown reasons. Despite several previous enquiries, MLM have, to date, failed to step up with a response and solution. The stray livestock have become so used to residential traffic and scolds from angry residents, that not even car horns spook these cattle when they loaf about the streets. Unfortunately, in Ermelo, a blind eye is turned to the issue, which have, and will again, result in a loss of life as motorists collide with these stray animals. A prime example of this is a motorist who collided with a stray animal in Church Street on Saturday, 23 July 2022. The injured animal caused extensive damaged to the bewildered driver. The animal was also the cause of another near-miss, as it bucked into oncoming traffic in shock. Luckily, the oncoming vehicle managed to avoid colliding with the animal. On the accident scene, a group of stray cattle could be noted grazing on the sidewalk, with their owner being blissfully unaware of the danger and damage these animals caused. < Previous Article Next Article >

MLM VOIP call centre up and running 1/1 Share GK CRONJE 17 November 2020 MLM is establishing a 16-hour service for the clientele community of Msukaligwa who wishes to log in a service, or to get information from 06:00- 20:00. Media Statement - MLM is establishing a 16-hour service for the clientele community of Msukaligwa who wishes to log in a service, or to get information from 06:00- 20:00. MLM is now using a toll free number to make it easier for the customers to reach the municipality, which is 0800 0149 03. The municipality has installed a contact centre solution system, which includes, among others, the soft phones (it enables voice over internet protocol (VOIP) telephone calls from computer devices, work in conjunction with headset. It records the interaction between agents and callers. The system has statistics wall board, which track important information, such as how long it takes agent to answer, how many calls they’ve taken, how many they’ve missed, average call time and who answers the most calls. The contact centre has a multichannel communication (USSD, e-mail, WhatsApp). The USSD works on all phones, across all cellular networks, and no internet connection or data needed. The USSD code is *134*3043#. The USSD will commenced on or before Monday, 23 November 2020. The SMS function will assist the municipality to send SMS’s out to residents or clients, informing them about planned maintenance or outages. The e-mail address is contactcentre@msukaligwa.gov.za , you may send a WhatsApp message, voice note or video to 079 503 6729. The role of the community members and customer are to report and log in interruptions, to provide clear and concise information about the interruption area, and to make a follow-up using the reference number. The role of the contact centre agent entails answering the calls, logging of queries on the system, giving reference numbers and information to customers, and to dispatch queries out to technicians. The role of the technician is to attend to the query, report back to the contact centre agent on the progress, or lack thereof. The municipality is currently training the agents on new system. < Previous Article Next Article >

GSDM welcomes MMC members 1/1 Share GK CRONJE 14 December 2021 The Gert Sibande District Council has been determined as a category C-municipality with a mayoral executive system. The Gert Sibande District Municipality (GSDM) is pleased to announce the appointment of Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) which will lead seven portfolios within the municipality. The MMC members are full time office bearers and have been appointed by Executive Mayor, Cllr Walter Mngomezulu, in line with Section 80 of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998 as follows: Cllr Flora Maboa-Boltman, Chairperson for Corporate Services Portfolio, Cllr Nomkhosi Zulu, Chairperson for Community and Social Services Portfolio, Cllr Phalaborwa Malatsi, Chairperson for Infrastructure and Technical Services Portfolio, Cllr Bheki Buthelezi, Chairperson for Planning, Economic Development, and Innovation Portfolio, Cllr Bethuel Zunguza, Chairperson for Financial Services Portfolio, Cllr Busisiwe Mkhwanazi, Chairperson for Special Programmes Portfolio and Cllr Banana Mollo, Chairperson for Monitoring and Evaluation Portfolio. The Mayoral Committee is a structure that is aimed at assisting the Executive Mayor by offering advice and taking decisions with regard to designated powers together with the Executive Mayor as the Chairperson of the Mayoral Committee. Nevertheless, final decisions are that of the Executive Mayor. The Gert Sibande District Council has been determined as a category C-municipality with a mayoral executive system. The council of the Gert Sibande District Municipality consist of forty-eight (48) councillors of whom nineteen (19) are proportionally elected councillors. Council has noted the report of the Executive Mayor on the appointment of the Members of the Mayoral Committee tabled during its ordinary sitting held on 9 December 2021 at the municipal offices. < Previous Article Next Article >

Ripe for the picking while MLM cries foul 1/6 Share GK CRONJE 15 June 2021 Opportunistic criminals sit and wait for the infamous load reduction to be implemented, and have themselves a jolly good time chopping off one cable after another. As you’re busy bathing your children and cooking dinner in the rush of peak evening time at home, the power suddenly goes out. The entire household curses in extremely colorful language, and you grab your phone to dial the call centre’s number. You’re informed that the outage is caused by cable theft, and that you’re going to have to make do without electricity for the next several hours. You sit and wonder how you’re going to finish the laundry, while your children stumbles in the dark, and your partner struggles to find the ever-elusive flashlight. According to Msukaligwa Local Municipality, thousands of Rands are spent every week to repair and tie in cables that have been stolen. Cables are being stolen in broad daylight, and entire wards are left without electricity. Opportunistic criminals sit and wait for the infamous load reduction to be implemented, and have themselves a jolly good time chopping off one cable after another. One cannot help and wonder as to how these criminals are so wily, and make a daring escape before anyone notices their wrongdoing and alerts ACSU or the neighborhood watch. Unfortunately, it is much easier than you might think, as various jerry-rigged electrical cables, ranging from low- to high voltage, are ripe for the picking. With shockingly low-quality workmanship, electrical cables are tied into substations and junction boxes, and draped over trees, fences and lamp posts, loosely tied down with flimsy wire. A shining beacon that screams “steal me” at the top of its voice. While MLM cries foul and laments the funds squandered on stolen cables, the old saying, idle hands are the devil's workshop, rings true. Ultimately, better craftsmanship, and correct procedures being followed, will both contribute to mitigating losses suffered by the hands of cable thieves. < Previous Article Next Article >

Breyten water outage update 1/1 Share GK CRONJE 2 March 2021 Refurbishment and upgrade of the Breyten Water Treatment Works to the tune of R6.6 million. Media Statement - Breyten / KwaZanele and Chressiesmeer / KwaChibikhulu obtains water from the Torbanite Dam, which is also supplied with water from the Usutu-Transfer Pipeline line via the Upper Komati Pipeline from Camden power station at 1.43 Ml/d. The Water Treatment Works has a capacity and/or purify 3ML per day. The current demand of the area fluctuates according to the season, and is between 7ML per day during high season, and drops to 5,3ML per day during the winter months. The Water Treatment Works supplies water to the following reservoirs namely Tower (0.75ML), Breyten (0.75Ml), Chaina (1Ml), KwaZanele (5Ml) and Chrissiesmeer Reservoir (0.75ML) Steel. Breyten Reservoir supplies Breyten town, Chaina Reservoir supplies Chaina / Thabo., KwaZanele Reservoir supplies the whole of KwaZanele location, and Chrissiesmeer Reservoir supplies Chrissiesmeer and KwaChibikhulu. Due to the topology of the area and insufficient existing storage facilities, the high lying areas experienced low water pressure or no water from time to time. In resolving the above, Msukaligwa Local Municipality appointed a contractor for the refurbishment and upgrade of the Breyten Water Treatment Works to the tune of R6.6 million. The site was handed over on 31 August 2020. The work commenced on 1 September 2020. The specific scope of work during the shutdown included inter alia the following: De-slugging of the sedimentation tank and inlet channel to filters, replacement of the 3 (three) de-slugging values and placement of filter media in filter three. Installation of telemetric system and construction of the plinth and clearview fence around the generator. Installing of standby pump in the Torbanite dam and refurbishment of pumps at the Torbanite pump room. Installation of generator at Breyten WTW. Installation of an elevated steel tank. The de-slugging will optimize supply of water to the Water Treatment Works, and as results alleviate the intermittent water interruptions in Breyten and KwaZanele. During this period the affected areas / high lying area is supplied with water through water tankers. Communities are urged not to pay water from water tanks, as this water is for free. If they are made to pay for the water, they must report this to their councillors. The municipality appeals to all affected people to bear with us during period. The project overall progress is at 96%. The outstanding is to testing, commissioning and the handing over of the site back to the municipality. On 3 February 2021 and/or early hours of 4 February 2021, the municipality discovered that the pump at the treatment work vandalized, which exacerbated the situation in the areas. Msukaligwa Local Municipality is committed in supplying potable and drinkable water to all its licensed areas in an equitable and sustainable manner. < Previous Article Next Article >

MLM proposes stiff tariff hikes for services 1/18 Share GK CRONJE 17 May 2022 The municipality claims that the residents owe R909 557 309 in unpaid services. As the infrastructure and overall condition of Msukaligwa declines, and hundreds of residents lament the abysmal failure in service delivery from Msukaligwa Local Municipality (MLM), the municipality has set forth proposed tariff increases for their services rendered. However, the proposal has not gone down well with residents, who have had it in chunks with the ineptitude from the municipality. The municipality has proposed a 5% (plus 5% rebate covered) increase in property rates, and a section mysteriously named “other” seeing a proposed 6% increase. The comment section of the posted proposed increase is a bloodbath, with angered and frustrated residents having their say. Nearly all residents who commented strongly oppose the increase, stating that the services aren’t even being delivered, yet the municipality looks to increase charges. On the electrical front, a myriad of residents have been, are still are, without electricity in many wards. Wesselton, Everest, Thusiville and Nyibe have sections that have been left weeks without water and electricity. A group of angered community members protested at the municipality recently, after they were left without water for four months due to alleged pump and transformer issues on part of the municipality. Residents in Cassim Park face a daily struggle with electricity, with a large number of wards being left in the dark while MLM drag their feet to restore the supply. De Bruin Park sees outages on a daily basis, and Netherland Park gets the short end of the stick on both fronts, with residents sitting in dark for days on end. The erratic electricity supply in Ermelo East is nothing to write home about either, with a large number of residents left without electricity for 5 days as MLM technicians struggled to power an extensively patched MV cable. This cable was ultimately fully replaced after uproar from frustrated residents. In addition to all the above, the implementation of municipal load reduction puts the icing on the cake, as the municipality is unable to provide sufficient electricity due to notified maximum demand constraints from Eskom. The municipality now proposes to put a 7.47% increase on electricity tariffs in effect, on top of the already loaded electricity prices. The municipality also proposes an expenditure increase of 9.61% for bulk electrical purchases, and a 15% expenditure increase on the interest of late Eskom payments. Msukaligwa Local Municipality is, at this time, R153 719 572 in arrears on their repayment agreement to Eskom. They have been listed by Eskom as one of the municipalities who have defaulted on their repayment agreement with the state utility. The municipality has since washed their hands of the breach of agreement, shifting the blame to the residents of Msukaligwa. The municipality claims that the residents owe R909 557 309 in unpaid services. Residents and businesses are having none of this, however, stating that the “owed” figure from the municipality is fabricated. According to disgruntled business owners, the financial system of the municipality leaves much to be desired, with the finance office simply accepting the estimated figures submitted by departments. It has been proven on several occasions that the wildly inaccurate estimates employed by the municipality is a borderline joke, with laughable amounts being billed to residents and businesses. These fabricated amounts are never rectified on the municipal billing system, and many residents and businesses are forced by the municipality to pay wildly inaccurate bills, only to be “credited” an X amount by the municipality. Not only has it been stated that charging a consumer by estimation being illegal, it also wreaks havoc on the already crippled municipal billing system. The estimates are rarely rectified on utility bills, and the chief financial officer of the municipality merely plods along, robbing Peter to pay Paul. In light of the water supply in Msukaligwa, the situation is equally bleak. Despite a multi-million Rand “infrastructure upgrade” in Breyten, which was announced with a great hoopla, residents still experience water outages for weeks on end. This, after both the municipality and DWS stated that the water woes of residents in the affected area would be at an end. Chrissiesmeer isn’t much better off, with residents sitting without water for weeks upon end, with no explanation from the municipality. Residents in Everest and Thusiville has literally been left without potable water for several months. Ermelo East residents have been with little to no water for more than a month, and residents in Netherland Park also left high and dry, approaching the 30-day mark without a single drop of water on Thursday this week. Despite the municipality being at fault for the outages, for which they can offer no acceptable explanation, residents are charged between R350 and R600 to fill up their JoJo tank, should they have one. The central business district is often left with dry taps, as damaged water pipes, coupled with sluggish response from the municipality, frustrate business owners in the CBD. Residents in Buhrman, Jansen and Smuts Street feel the effects of dry taps, with many residences sitting without water, while adjacent properties inexplicably have water supply. John Vorster Park seems to reportedly have the least issues with the water supply. The municipality has proposed a 6% increase in water tariffs, which has hundreds of residents and business owners hot under the collar. Sewerage services will see a proposed increase of 6%, along with the same being applied to refuse services. The increase is proposed amidst Ermelo and the surrounding areas resembling a veritable pig sty, with uncollected refuse lining the sidewalks of Cassim Park, Netherland Park and the outer edges of the CBD. Wesselton, Everest, Thusi Village and more have resorted to creating their own versions of landfills, as the refuse collection service in these areas are virtually non-existent. Cassim Park has large sections of the wards illegally dumping refuse in nearby fields and the area surrounding the once-beautiful central shopping complex. Ermelo, Wesselton, Breyten and many other areas are rife with sewerage network issues, with overflowing manholes and raw sewage lining the streets being no strange sight to residents. The municipality blames aging pipes being the reason for the hundreds of spillages polluting the environment, coupled with insufficient pipe dimensions attributing to stoppages and overflows. Residents aren’t biting on the story, as many have stated that the municipal town planner should have made providing for the influx of sewerage from living complexes and security villages that have been constructed left and right in recent years. While the population of Ermelo has increased exponentially, no infrastructure provision has been made by the municipality. The tariff increase is also frowned upon due to the fact that the municipality nary addresses the root of the problem of sewerage network issues, and instead opts for shortcuts and blame-shifting. The municipality has, for example, dug trenches in President Fouché Avenue to redirect a years-long sewerage overflow to the middle of the field. This field, which is actually supposed to be protected wetland, then directs kiloliters of raw sewage into the Pet Dam. The teams that have dug the trenches have also completely demolished the sidewalk and several storm drains, which have since collapsed. The clogged storm drainage system will inevitably lead to extensive water drainage issues in this area, which is already plagued by floods and polling water and sewage. The municipality further blames residents for obstructing the sewerage network with a variety of foreign objects. However, hundreds of sewerage line manholes withing the municipality have been left open, either from damage, or from alleged theft of manhole covers. These manhole covers are subsequently never replaced, inviting foreign objects into the network. Lastly, the municipality has proposed various other expenditure increases. These proposed expenditures include employee related costs being increased with 4.90%, councillor remuneration being increased with 4.90%, bulk water inventory being increased with 10%, and contracted services being increased by 4.40%. Repair and maintenance, which is stated as 10% of the municipality’s operating budget, is proposed to be increased by 100%. Lastly, diesel and petrol expenditures are proposed to be increased with 30%, stating the Ukraine conflict as the reason. The infamous “other” expenditures category sees a proposed 4.90% increase. The public is invited to submit their opinions on the proposed increases by sending an e-mail to either jthulare@msukaligwa.gov.za , or to smphiri@msukaligwa.gov.za . < Previous Article Next Article >

12 Years of Vaal River pollution 1/19 Share GK CRONJE 13 July 2021 The spill contravenes several statutory requirements, as stated by AfriForum in their 2014 summons. In terms of the National Water Act, 36 of 1998, as read with the National Environmental Act, 107 of 1998, the pollution of a water resource is a criminal offence. “There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. As Msukaligwa Local Municipality (MLM) fails to deliver on services across multiple levels of their management structure, the quote seems fitting. The Vaal river, a source of water for approximately 19 million South Africans, has been slated as polluted “beyond acceptable levels”, impacting on natural ecosystems and endangering the people's health. Raw sewage flowing into living areas is also a major health hazard, The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) stated. The investigation by the SAHRC followed media reports that raw sewage from various water management works from several municipalities had been leaking into the Vaal River. MLM is no exception, and is, in fact, one of the major contributors to the pollution of the Vaal River. The constant flow of raw sewage from President Fouché Avenue, the field between Oosthuise and Joubert Streets, as well as a constant flow of raw sewage from the informal settlements along the outskirts of the N17. However, the issue of MLM’s blatant disregard of environmental impact is nothing new. In 2014, Municipal Manager at the time, Mr M.W. Zungu, the Head of the Water Department, Mr B. van der Merwe, and the Director of Technical Services, Mr S. Magudulela, received a summons, whilst performing in their capacity as managers of Msukaligwa Local Municipality, in connection to the blocked sewage drains in the vicinity of the Pet Dam. The raw sewage, which, to this very day, still overflows into the creek, deposits a quantity of >1 000 000 E. Coli per 100ml of water. This contravenes several statutory requirements, as stated by AfriForum in their 2014 summons. In terms of the National Water Act, 36 of 1998, as read with the National Environmental Act, 107 of 1998, the pollution of a water resource is a criminal offence. However, no heed has been, or is paid by MLM. In 2014, stated that Rand Water has appointed contractors to see to the general maintenance of the sewer network. The purpose of the work being done at this site was to flush the bulk sewer lines so that proper water inflows at the sewer work can be measured. This is part of the Water Demand Management Project that has been launched. Birds, other wildlife and stray cattle feasts on the daily smorgasbord of excrement gushing from the sewerage lines, and cattle herders plod through the soggy marsh of sewage. The large-scale environmental contamination holds immense health risks to animals, and especially residents, facing the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several half-hearted attempts from MLM to remedy the issue has yielded no results or solution to the issue, and was done to quell the barrage of complaints from residents and businesses. The overflow from all the abovementioned sites connect directly to the Klein Drinkwater stream. This stream flows through several farms an small holdings to eventually contaminates the Vaal River with thousands of kiloliters of raw sewage per month. The overflow from the field in Camden Avenue contaminates the entire field between Mauritz Read Street and President Fouché Avenue, where cattle often graze and residents cross by foot. This sewage then flows towards the field between President Fouché Avenue and Wes Street, where it contributes to the shocking amount of sewage that overflows from the manholes and dilapidated sewerage network in this area. Instead of finding a solution to the overflow of raw sewage from the manholes in President Fouché Avenue, MLM has opted to brazenly dig trenches to redirect the sewage towards the middle of the field in an attempt to make the overflow less noticeable. However, this is of little comfort to residents in this area, as well as the local school, who have to suffer in the unsanitary environment and gagging stench, day in, and day out. This combined, constant stream of raw sewage then flows directly into the Pet Dam, which overflows into the creek between Oosthuise and Joubert Streets. There, it is joined by the overflow of the manhole in yet another field, which flows past the informal settlements and towards the Klein Drinkwater stream. Despite the raw sewage, the Klein Drinkwater stream is contaminated beyond all recognition by refuse, sanitary pads, tyres and all manner of other refuse being tossed in the stream by nearby residents. The Democratic Alliance of Mpumalanga (DA) has announced that they will write to COGTA MEC, Busisiwe Shiba, asking her to capacitate and help municipalities spend their infrastructure grant as residents are struggling with service delivery because of old and dilapidated infrastructure. “The recent Auditor-General report has mentioned that despite there being huge infrastructure backlogs in all municipalities across Mpumalanga, municipalities are still failing to utilize grants given by national government for the purposes provided. Over the past couple of years, Msukaligwa Local Municipality has become synonymous with infrastructure issues relating to water shortages, sewage leaks that run into the rivers and onto land, and issues around power outages. Numerous infrastructure backlogs resulted in a failure of the municipality to provide water to the residents of Sheepmoore, Skaapruiz and parts of Lothair and Breyten. In addition to the above, dilapidated sewage systems have resulted in sewage spills across the municipality, and the resultant pollution of land and the water systems such as the Vaal River. It is from this perspective, the DA condemns the municipality’s underspending of the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant by 95% as reported on by the Auditor-General in the 2019/20 audit of local municipalities,” the DA stated. < Previous Article Next Article >

Irate residents pickets at MLM Unhappy residents from various wards in Wesseolton demands answers from MLM. Unhappy residents from various wards in Wesseolton demands answers from MLM. Unhappy residents from various wards in Wesseolton demands answers from MLM. Unhappy residents from various wards in Wesseolton demands answers from MLM. 1/4 Share GK CRONJE 9 September 2020 “I care for a disabled family member, which makes it difficult to travel within Wesselton. Everything is falling apart, an nobody is listening to us. We are without electricity a lot of the time. Innocent residents are suffering due to illegal connections. Not all of us are part of the “izinyoka”, yet some of us have no other choice. We will wait for municipality technicians until Jehova comes,” a picketer lamented. Msukaligwa Local Municipality (MLM) has seen their fair share of irate residents and business owners lately, and today it no different. A group of residents from various areas of Wesselton are picketing in front of the MLM building, with SAPS keeping a close eye on proceedings. The residents in question expressed their dismay regarding a court order of removal issued recently. Amongst other concerns, service delivery, electrical supply and disconnections, employment issues and supply chain dissatisfaction issues were raised. “It’s terrible. We are treated like nothing, like we are not human beings. We are all suffering, we need to provide for our families, and we are being blocked by unlawful proceedings,” a picketer told the Tribune. Wesselton has come under the spotlight for the lack of maintenance, especially regarding the roads, electrical and water supply infrastructure. “I care for a disabled family member, which makes it difficult to navigate within Wesselton. Everything is falling apart, an nobody is listening to us. We are without electricity a lot of the time. Innocent residents are suffering due to illegal connections. Not all of us are part of the “izinyoka”, yet some of us have no other choice. We will wait for municipality technicians until Jehova comes,” another picketer lamented. Residents are advised to exercise caution when conducting business at MLM during the course of the picketing, as the group awaits feedback from MLM. This is a developing story. Read the full article in the next publication of the Tribune Newspaper. < Previous Article Next Article >

Continuous illegal dumping creates eyesore 1/3 Share GK CRONJE 29 September 2020 The warning from MLM has been laughed off, and the refuse dumping has increased exponentially. In a sad state of affairs, it is also clear that rehabilitation or removal of the current, or previous refuse and rubble has been implemented. It has come to the attention of the Tribune that the Chris de Villiers Street roadside, as well as the adjacent fields on both sides, are strewn with literal mounds of refuse, discarded building materials and a considerable amount of fast food containers, indicating that surrounding residents and contractors conduct regular illegal dumping activities in this area. The issue has been reported to the call centre on numerous occasions, with no response from Msukaligwa Local Municipality (MLM). Upon enquiry in 2019, MLM issued the following response: “Illegal dumping in Msukaligwa is the problem, where community members deliberately degrade our environment through illegal dumping activities, especially rubble or building and demolition waste. Instead of using the landfill sites, community members opt for our public open spaces. To remedy the problem, the community awareness program is being rolled out to all community members. The law enforcement team from Gert Sibande is in partnership with Msukaligwa Local Municipality to deal with law breakers.” Alas, as we near the end of 2020, little effort has been put in to deal with residents and construction companies who illegally dump refuse and building material in Chris de Villiers Street. The warning from MLM has been laughed off, and the refuse dumping has increased exponentially. In a sad state of affairs, it is also clear that rehabilitation or removal of the current, or previous refuse and rubble has been implemented. Illegal dumping of refuse and other materials is a growing issue within Ermelo, as well as the surrounding areas, with residents paying no heed to the municipal by-laws, which remain unenforced. < Previous Article Next Article >

No clarity on rotational load shedding 1/3 Share GK CRONJE 1 September 2020 “The municipality expects that before residents go to work, they switch off unused appliances. Why should they switch on appliances like geysers, televisions, etc. when they are not at home?” MLM stated. Since March 2020, residents of Ermelo and surroundings have had to bite the bullet with daily rotational load shedding implemented by Msukaligwa Local Municipality. The load shedding occurs mainly during peak times, much to the frustration of residents who arrive home, to find that there is no electricity supply. Mundane chores such as cooking, bathing and laundry have become a struggle, and many students who make use of online education portals are left with no means to progress. The supply is more often than not interrupted for extended periods, with Mlm blaming the infamous 88kVA line for the majority of supply woes. Other reasons are alleged illegal connections, cable theft and a myriad of other, more feeble excuses. The Tribune directed an several enquiries at MLM regarding the ongoing municipal load shedding. In light of submissions by various political parties regarding the poor performance of municipalities in Mpumalanga, especially regarding the servicing of the Eskom accounts, it was enquired if the Eskom account is actually serviced per agreement, and if any arrears in payment are present. The outstanding amount owed my MLM is high, but relatively low in comparison with other municipalities in the province. The Tribune also enquired if, and how the amount owed to Eskom has impacted the notified maximum demand (NMD). The NMD is the contracted notified maximum demand, expressed in kVA, and the NMD should, and can not be exceeded unless agreed to by Eskom. An excess network access charge will be levied for exceeding the NMD. MLM has previously stated that the infrastructure is allegedly overloaded during times of municipal load shedding, and that the demand indeed exceeds the supply. The NMD comes into play noticeably of late, seen as Ermelo has been experiencing a disproportionate amount of electrical issues compared to previous years. Upon enquiry, MLM responded as follows: “The current account with Eskom is up to date. MLM is required to adhere to the agreed NMD and should not exceed it unless Eskom has agreed to the exceedance in writing and in advance. An exceedance of the NMD is a breach of Eskom’s electricity supply agreement and/or connection and use of system agreement. Eskom request the municipality to remain within the contractual NMD. If the municipality fails to heed the request above, remedies may be implemented by Eskom to correct such breach, including the right to limit the capacity. The municipality, in order to comply with the request, implemented load reduction in order to be within the NMD. Renegotiation with Eskom are ongoing in order to come up with mutual beneficial agreement of the NMD. Before an upgrade is implemented, Eskom conducts a feasibility study, among others, to check whether the capacity of the Eskom network is adequate to make supply available at a higher level on a continuous basis, etc.” MLM wholly ignored the enquiries as to when the load reduction will end, and what actionable plan MLM is employing to service the community. Residents and businesses in Ermelo are slowly but surely getting fed up with MLM’s tomfoolery and silence on the matter, as there are no honest, direct and palpable feedback from municipal authorities. If enquiries are responded to, elaborate statements which employ evasion tactics are submitted, often leaving more questions than answers. A Facebook group, which contains a substantial following of disgruntled residents, is evidence of the dismay regarding MLM’s ineptitude. Talks of a march against the municipality has surfaced, and another group of dismayed residents and businesses are considering legal action against MLM, much like the steps taken against Lekwa Local Municipality (LMM). LMM residents will feel some relief, as the high court has recently placed an interdict against the municipality, preventing them from implementing rotational load shedding permitted on a limitation linked to the shockingly reduced NMD. AfriForum has also locked horns with Eskom and LMM, as the extended periods of rotational load shedding, caused by the municipality, is considered and stated as unconstitutional. If MLM doesn’t shape up, the same fate awaits them, as many residents and businesses are negatively impacted by the rotational load shedding. The majority of residents and businesses in Ermelo are up to date with their utility bills. MLM has, themselves, stated that Ermelo has the highest utility payment rate from residents, with Chrissiesmeer and Breyten having amongst the poorest paying residents, with a shockingly high non-payment rate. Damage to appliances and equipment is also a cause of great concern, with MLM failing to elaborate on who will be held liable for damages caused by the fluctuation of electricity supply from the municipality. They have, however, added to their weekly load shedding schedule the wording “please switch off appliances to avoid damage from surges”. This statement is of nonsensical value, as many residents are at work during the constant fluctuations, and more often than not at home during these times. “The municipality expects that before residents go to work, they switch off unused appliances. Why should they switch on appliances like geysers, televisions, etc. when they are not at home?” MLM stated. Ultimately, MLM cannot expect to place the onus of damage to appliances on the residents, when the fluctuation of the feed is, to be frank, the doing of the municipality. At this time, residents and businesses can do little but to grin and bear the outages, which were stated as “temporary” when implemented by MLM seven months ago, along with the damages it brings. < Previous Article Next Article >

Gross service delivery failure while grants remain unspent 1/4 Share GK CRONJE 21 September 2021 Instances like these are extremely concerning in a province with huge infrastructure backlogs because it robs deserving residents of much needed service delivery. A municipality which is in financial distress can never be in a position to deliver services to its residents. The shocking negligence from Msukaligwa Local Municipality (MLM) regarding the maintenance of the sewer system in Ermelo and surrounding areas, leaves many residents to grimly deal with raw sewage, and the stench and health risks associated with clogged sewer pipes. The sewer system in President Fouché Avenue has been neglected to such an extent that raw sewage bubbles from the manholes on an almost weekly basis. This area has been in the spotlight since 2014, and even earlier, where complaints are filed weekly but no hearing is given from MLM. No actual effort is made by MLM to solve the problem. To the bitter frustration of residents in the face of this mess, MLM, as well as ward councilors, wash their hands of it, with the relevant department of MLM half-heartedly unblocking the sewer pipes, instead of taking immediate action and solving the bigger problem of the infrastructure. MLM has even gone as far as to dig trenches to divert the sewage to the middle of the field, a tactic which has failed, as the sheer amount of sewage overflowing from the network lines the streets and soaks the fields and wetland. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has also taken notice of the ballooning sewage pollution from MLM, and now calls on the Mpumalanga provincial government to intervene and help municipalities like eMalahleni and Msukaligwa as they are financially distressed and not in a position to deliver proper services to residents. “As revealed in the 2019/2020 Auditor-General’s (AG) report, Msukaligwa Local Municipality faces deepening financial crises which makes it difficult for them to provide services to residents. The AG noted that the municipality incurred a net loss of R76 348 177 during the financial year 2019/2020, and also that the municipality’s current liabilities exceeded their current assets by R923 548 805. Msukaligwa Local Municipality has either faced infrastructure backlogs, or projects were completely abandoned. Failure to spend their Conditional Infrastructure Grant (MIG) is also a cause of great concern. The situation is even made worse by the fact that there is lack of monitoring and oversight from provincial authorities. Msukaligwa Local Municipality has not utilized 95% of the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant. Instances like these are extremely concerning in a province with huge infrastructure backlogs because it robs deserving residents of much needed service delivery. A municipality which is in financial distress can never be in a position to deliver services to its residents. The DA will write to the MEC of COGTA, Busisiwe Shiba, asking her to intervene and assist the municipality.” Residents only have to be content with the faint excuse that they blame the constant problems on the fact that many homes are being illegally built and extended, without the approval of a building inspector or town planner. Other excuses include a lack of finances, lack of tools and machinery, and a series of other ridiculous bogus stories. MLM has also indicated in the past that expanding the number of residents is obviously overloading the already dilapidated sewer system. This is of little comfort to residents, and the complaints, investigations and the fact that MLM has been fingered as a main polluter of the Vaal Dam, rolls off the municipality like water from a duck’s back. See more photos and videos on our Facebook page, Tribune Ermelo. < Previous Article Next Article >

VF Plus vereis antwoorde vanaf GMM 1/1 Share GK CRONJE 2 Junie 2020 Daar vind tot ses onderbrekings per dag in Bethal plaas. Tydens 'n aanlyn-portefeuljekomiteevergadering oor die aangeleentheid, het verteenwoordigers van Eskom gesê dat hulle weens uitstaande skuld van R1.7 miljard van Govan Mbeki Munisipaliteit, nie bereid is om die uitset van die substasie te verhoog nie. Persverklaring - Dit het onder die aandag van die VF Plus gekom dat die gereelde beurtkrag wat in Bethal plaasvind, die gevolg is van ‘n substasie wat nie die aanvraag na Bethal sowel as Emzinoni, 'n aangrensende dorp langs Bethal, kan voorsien nie. Daar vind tot ses onderbrekings per dag plaas. Tydens 'n aanlyn-portefeuljekomiteevergadering oor die aangeleentheid, het verteenwoordigers van Eskom gesê dat hulle weens uitstaande skuld van R1.7 miljard van Govan Mbeki Munisipaliteit, nie bereid is om die uitset van die substasie te verhoog nie. Die situasie is onaanvaarbaar, en die munisipaliteit se optrede is ʼn belediging vir die inwoners van Bethal wat wel gereeld hul rekenings betaal, maar wat nou weens die wanbetaling van ander en van die munisipaliteit moet boet. Die ANC moet aanvaar dat daar 'n probleem in Bethal is, en moet dringend optree teen onwettige aansluitings en wanbetalers. Agterstallige skuld moet ingevorder word, en vrugtelose en verkwistende uitgawes van openbare fondse moet stopgesit word. Die VF Plus dring aan op antwoorde van die munisipaliteit, en van die departement oor die aangeleentheid. Wetsgehoorsame betalers kan nie gestraf word weens die onbevoegdheid van die munisipaliteit en die wanbetaling van ander nie. < Previous Article Next Article >