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The Citizen
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Nkowankowa residents argue ‘VIP-only' service delivery
TZANEEN – Residents of Nkowankowa and Dan claim they only see real service delivery when the President visits the area. 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.
The Citizen
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Services brought closer to Ward 29
The Batho-Pele Outreach Programme is aimed at bringing government services closer to the people of Ward 29. Thomas Mashabela, municipal spokesperson, said the initiative sought to promote transparency and responsive leadership. Municipal leaders, officials, stakeholders and representatives from the departments of Home Affairs, Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure, Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and Statistics South Africa formed part of the event. Mashabela stated that the presence of government departments, SASSA and Stats SA aimed to ensure that residents have direct access to information and support. The residents were provided a platform to interact with Mayor Mahlase on service delivery issues that affect them daily. Responding to the persistent challenge of illegal dumping, Mahlase outlined plans for a refuse collection payment system designed to improve cleanliness, generate revenue and create local jobs. Mahlase highlighted that while the roll-out of the initiative might take time, the municipality remains committed to sustainable service delivery among communities. She called on residents to safeguard public infrastructure and use peaceful means to register their frustrations over service delivery, urging that community assets need to be protected for the improvement of lives. Mahlase lauded the community for their massive participation in the programme, 'The municipality remains open and committed to listening and responding. Together, we will build, protect, and progress,' remarked Mahlase. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
27-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Trees replanted in Newlands amid beetle infestation
Quercus nigra trees (water oaks) are planted in Kildare Circle parking area, which are non-reproductive hosts for PSHB. Image: Supplied Six trees at a Newlands public square have been removed due to a polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) infestation, as the invasive beetle continues to threaten Cape Town's urban forest and agricultural crops, potentially causing R275 billion in economic damage over the next decade if uncontrolled. It is for this reason that Claremont ward councillor, Mikhail Manuel, joined forces with Deputy Mayor and mayco member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, along with other departments and agencies, to carry out a tree planting ceremony on Monday in Newlands, where five quercus nigra trees (water oaks) were planted in the Kildare Circle parking area, which are non-reproductive hosts for the PSHB. Originating in southeast Asia and identified in South Africa in 2017, the PSHB has spread to eight provinces and infests over 100 local tree species. Identifying infestations is difficult due to the beetle's 2mm size. The City of Cape Town reported a PSHB-infested boxelder tree in Newlands in January 2023, advising neighbors to inspect their trees. The initial infestation in Somerset West in March 2019 was contained until the Newlands sighting. The City said it was thanks to the combined efforts of the Parks and Recreation, Roads and Infrastructure, and the Energy Departments, that the replanting project came to fruition this month. Andrews said the event raised awareness for residents. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'The combined efforts of three different directorates are a testament to our commitment to managing the spread of PSHB infestations in Cape Town. It is important that we plant new trees to replace those lost to PSHB beetles. I want to encourage all residents to familiarise themselves with the list of trees which are reproductive hosts of the PSHB,' he said. 'If you suspect an infected tree, please contact our invasive species unit so we can act to mitigate the spread of the beetle.' Manuel said it was the first replacement of planting of trees infected by the PSHB beetle in the southern suburbs. 'Trees are a significant feature of our area's character, so we must do everything possible to continuously plant new trees every year. We are grateful for the offers of assistance from our community partners, most notably Newlands CID and TreeKeepers,' he said. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.
