NOLUVO MGIJIMA
SERVICE delivery challenges faced by the community of Matatiele in the Eastern Cape will be a thing of the past according to Matatiele Local Municipality mayor Patric Stuurman. He was addressing the community of Qhobosheaneng on Wednesday, June 18. Villagers have been battling to access clean running water, electricity and decent road infrastructure that have led to numerous protests in the area. But Stuurman said that road infrastructure is being attended to.
In his State of the Municipality speech, he said that most of the roads and bridges were damaged as a result of floods. He said road infrastructure is one of the municipality’s priorities, including the Mvenyane road that was concerning to villagers. Road maintenance programmes underway include: Malubaluba in Ward 3, Skiti to Tholang in Ward 2, New Resh in Ward 9, as well as the completed Mabheleni to Upper Mvenyane road.
The 4.2km Bhakaneni access road in Ward 6 is in progress, as well as the Chere to Mahareng 8km access road in Ward 13. “These maintenance works are critical to ensuring year-round road accessibility, particularly in rural and mountainous areas. Despite logistical and terrain-related setbacks, we are steadily advancing each project through dedicated oversight and community engagement,” Stuurman added. In speaking about electricity, he said that 429 households in Motsekuoa in Ward 27 have been connected to electricity under Phase 3. The connection of 42 households in Paballong, 27 in Mahlabatheng, 14 in Lugada, and 18 in Mbizeni have been completed, but the municipality said that it is waiting for Eskom to activate electricity.
Stuurman said that the electrification projects form part of municipal efforts to ensure no household in Matatiele is left behind in the electrification rollout. “Electrification remains central to rural development. It serves as a catalyst for economic development and improved livelihoods, enabling access to modern services, promoting local enterprise, and improving the overall quality of life,” he stated, adding that more than 3 868 households have been electrified out of a five-year target of 4 749.
He said projects such as Epiphany, Mkhemane, and Motsekoa have made notable progress towards reaching the municipal target. Stuurman took a swipe towards the recent incidents of vandalism of graves in the Matatiele area. He urged communities to work with law enforcement and traditional leadership to protect cemeteries. To combat incidents of gender-based violence in the area, Stuurman said the municipality has strengthened mechanisms to ensure safety of women and children. He called upon communities to be vigilant, report abuse, and form part of initiatives building a caring and protective society.
