Oppositions react on SoDA delivery

LEBOENG – Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Democratic Alliance in Sekhukhune have expressed concerns over the delivery of the State of the District Address (SoDA) by Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM) Executive Mayor, Stanley Ramaila, which occurred in Leboeng Village outside Burgersfort within the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality on Thursday, 25 March 2021.

The parties moved that the SoDA was a cut and paste on issues the current Sekhukhune District Municipality’s administration promised residents when they assumed office five years ago, that most of are yet to be realized.

EFF’s Dr Lawrence Matsetela said that there were some of the issues spoken of by Executive Mayor Ramaila that made the party were happy about but most of they did not agree with in terms of services’ delivery progress since his occupation of office.

Matselela said as the EFF, they have since the occupation of office of the current Sekhukhune district administration, called for the acquisition of resources such as vehicles by the municipality and not outsource but the district municipality has not fully committed to that.

“We understand that the district municipality has now acquired its own fleet but the effort has been minimal. They are still dependent on outsourcing with regard to the matter they did not take our advice on,” said Matsetela.

Matsetela further raised the issue of relevant qualifications of senior management at the district municipality, which he worried it was not attended and impacted negatively on basic services for the people of Sekhukhune.

“We a deeply concerned about qualifications of senior management at the district municipality. Although we are satisfied with the qualifications of the current Municipal Manager, we need some attention to be put on others,” said Matsetela.

He further touched base on the issue of interim measures taken for the provision of water services for the district and emphasized that as a party they needed the district to find permanent solutions to the problem of access to water.

Solomon Maila, DA Sekhukhune Caucus leader, concurred that the speech did not give exact answers that the people of Sekhukhune needed to their lack of services frustrations.

Maila dwelled on the matter of the provision of water to the Jane Furse Hospital, on which Executive Mayor Ramaila promised there would a borehole to assist water supply at the hospital as delivering water there was costly for the district municipality through water tankers, and Maila said they were worried as the party that it would be one of the empty promises because the Executive Mayor Ramaila did not give the exact date as to when its implementation would be.