Operation Mabone saga referred to Coghsta and Treasury

BURGERSFORT

The portfolio committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs has requested the Limpopo Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA) and the department of Treasury to intervene in the Operation Mabone saga.
The initiative was earmarked to electrify 35 communities in Tubatse. Only 26 have been connected so far, while nine communities (14 000 households) are still patiently waiting for their homes to be powered.
On Wednesday, the committee held a meeting on parliamentary channel 408 on DSTV with regards to the failure of the operation.
The virtual meeting was attended by Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality’s mayor Ralepane Mamekoa and Municipal Manager NW Phala as well as the Operation Mabone contractor Lufuno Mphaphuli of Mphaphuli Consulting.
Once again, the FTLM leadership did not want to comment much on the matter citing that the matter was sub judice.
“Those matters are in the hands of the court. Clarity will be given when the case is completed,” said Mamekoa. Some of the committee’s members described the FTLM leadership as “arrogant.”
ANC’s Gordon Mpumza asked, “Mayor, you are the first citizen of the municipality. Are you residing in one of the communities that have no electricity? So that your experience the hardships and agony under which you have placed the communities by delaying the rendering of services.”
In concluding the matter, chairperson of the committee Faith Muthambi said, “The municipality is wasting resources defending this matter in courts. There are higher possibilities of protest on this matter from the nine communities.
“This matter must be referred to Limpopo Coghsta and Treasury as the owner of the project. We want you to review this matter and report back to the committee within a month.”