Sterkstroom unable to provide residents with even basic services

About 13,000 Sterkstroom residents have to travel to another town to access the most basic services, as their Enoch Mgijima municipality local office has run out of paper to print proof of residence documents.

Members of the Sterkstroom community, mostly low-income earners, have to travel the badly potholed 28km R397 road to buy electricity in Molteno.

Sterkstroom Community Organisation chair Thembinkosi Kotso said the town’s dysfunctional municipal offices had been inconveniencing residents for five years.

“Most people here do not own cars. One has to spend at least R60 to hitchhike there and back, just to purchase electricity for R20.

“We used to be able to register vehicles and renew driver’s licences at our local office but gone are those days.

“The simplest proof of residence document is not easily obtainable in that office because they often run out of printing paper.

“Our other major issue, even at the Molteno office, is that you sometimes arrive and find it is closed without notice.

“What a waste of time and money that could have been used for other important matters. We will not go to Molteno to pay for rates and services until the municipality fixes this problem,” he said.

Kotso accused the municipality of prioritising its main town, Komani, when it came to service delivery, saying they had reported broken street lights, refuse piling up for weeks and potholes in all the towns.

Enoch Mgijima spokesperson Lonwabo Kowa told the Dispatch on Wednesday: “The municipality services all its areas on an equal footing, but due to a big population and business activity in Komani, the town requires more resources than the other towns.”

Kotso said he was thankful to Sassa and the home affairs department, which had heeded their call when they asked them to bring services closer to the people in March.

The Dispatch has seen photos of the dilapidated Sterkstroom municipal office, which stands amid overgrown grass. There is no working equipment, ceilings are falling down, windows and furniture are broken.

DA councillor Lindy Haggard said the Enoch Mgijima municipality prioritised political events more than it did service delivery and ultimately the people who had voted them into power.

“Those offices have been as good as closed since 2014 due to unrest and afterwards have never really been operational.

It is totally disastrous for a municipality not to have local offices in an area with that many people.”

Resident Kholeka Mangaliso said it was unfair that they were deprived of services that used to exist in their town, causing them to spend money they did not have.

“The road to Molteno is the worst. People have to be very careful driving on that road if they do not want to damage their vehicles.

“Nothing is done by the municipality for the people in Sterkstroom, yet they expect us to pay for services,” she said.

Kowa said there were plans to bring back services to Sterkstroom residents but there were problems with the network infrastructure that had not yet been repaired.

“Services were rendered in Sterkstroom until the community members burned the offices during a violent protest. The infrastructure was damaged and some services could no longer be offered.

“There is sufficient staff complement at the Molteno office to cater for both towns.”