The residents of Dr JS Moroka Municipality in Mpumalanga are crying out for new leadership as the state of infrastructure and service delivery continues to deteriorate, leaving communities in despair. This desperate call comes from Sipho Mawelela, the RISE Mzansi Mpumalanga Campaign Coordinator, who has expressed grave concerns about the lack of political will to address the issues faced by the people.

In his recent media statement, Mawelela highlighted the plight of Ward 17, where a ward committee member has become a victim of the municipality’s neglect. Despite numerous attempts by communities to seek assistance, their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

The situation in Ward 17 is particularly dire, with residents grappling with a lack of access to potable water and electricity. Boreholes meant to supply water to the community are rendered useless due to their proximity to a dam, which floods them when it overflows. Additionally, a settlement in the ward has been without electricity since 2017, despite budget allocations for electrification in the 2022/2023 financial year.

Furthermore, a library in the ward that has been closed since 2022 for construction remains shuttered, despite the project’s completion date having passed.

Mawelela pointed out that while nearly R69 million was spent on water reticulation projects in the 2022/2023 financial year, with almost R8 million allocated to Ward 17 alone, the community still lacks access to water. This, he argues, is a clear indication that the problem goes beyond financial constraints and highlights a lack of capable leadership.

The RISE Mzansi campaign coordinator has promised that a RISE Mzansi government would appoint ethical and capable leaders to ensure excellence becomes the standard. He vowed to end the culture of cadre deployment, ensuring that individuals in positions of public responsibility are highly skilled, capable, and ethical. This, he believes, will ensure that spending on service delivery will actually benefit communities rather than leave them worse off.