Nkowankowa residents argue ‘VIP-only' service delivery
Their comments come after the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure recently patched potholes on the D673 road from Bindzulani to Letaba Hospital and the D5011 road from Bindzulani to Nkowankowa.
Locals say these roads are plagued by potholes year-round, causing long delays during peak hours. They believe the recent repairs were not for their benefit, but to prepare for President Cyril Ramaphosa and several ministers, who visited Nkowankowa Stadium on Saturday, August 9, for the National Women's Day event.
The D5011 was last repaired in October during the funeral of former Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni, also held at Nkowankowa Stadium. Before that, the same road was fixed in September 2022, ahead of Ramaphosa's visit to launch the Letsema campaign, a ruling party initiative to reconnect with communities and rebuild public trust.
Residents have also noticed that during such high-profile events, the electricity load reduction, experienced almost daily, suddenly stops. This was the case during Mboweni's funeral and again in the week leading up to the president's recent visit, raising further suspicion.
Nkowankowa resident Thembani Mathye told the Herald that the sudden improvements had 'nothing to do with serving the community' and everything to do with impressing VIPs.
Ward 19 EFF chairperson Given Molondobodzi echoed this view, saying it proves that proper service delivery is possible but withheld.
'Not cutting off electricity, fixing of roads, and water supply shows they only respect certain individuals, not the people. The same person they are preparing the road for them should be ensuring these services for everyone,' he said.
However, Public Works spokesperson Emmanuel Mongwe denied that the repairs were linked to the president's visit, insisting maintenance is carried out regularly.
The Herald also attempted to reach Eskom representatives Emily Zwane (Tzaneen) and Matshidiso Phaladi (Limpopo) for comment, but both were unavailable at the time of publication.
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