Premier fires back at R10bn demand as residents demand urgent action

The final day of the Taking Legislature to the People (TLP) programme at Ximungwe Sports Ground in Bushbuckridge ended in fiery exchanges, bold promises, and raw community frustrations. For a week, residents poured out their anger over collapsing roads, dry taps, housing backlogs, and villages left in the dark — and politicians were forced to face the heat.

Members of the Mpumalanga Legislature used the platform to highlight what they view as critical shortcomings in Bushbuckridge. The MK party accused the ANC-led government of “playing with people’s lives” and demanded urgent steps to improve service delivery. “The people of Hluvukani and Manyeleti have waited too long. Their lives must change now,” the party stressed.

The EFF called for a staggering R10 billion to be set aside exclusively for Bushbuckridge to address unemployment and service delivery failures. The DA, on the other hand, demanded an urgent investigation into why many communities remain excluded from electrification projects. The party proposed a 21-day deadline for a preliminary report with practical recommendations to ensure schools, clinics and households receive access to electricity without further delays.

In his closing address, Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu acknowledged residents’ frustrations but dismissed the EFF’s proposal as unrealistic. He said:

“The budget of the province is 67, a billion. So we don’t have, for infrastructure, in the program, the budget is not even 10 billion. So they know that it is not possible. I wish I can be like them. If you are not in government, you can even promise people to build one million houses in the 1st 5 years. That’s what we did. I don’t understand why they decided to lie, knowing that they are lying, but they continue to lie. So it is not right. Ourselves, we should not be ambitious. We must tell people what we can be able to meet. So don’t come with ambitious program that we will not be able to make.”

Premier Ndlovu reassured communities that access to water, roads, and electricity remains a government priority. He confirmed that household connections are underway, with newly established stands also scheduled to be connected. On unemployment, he pointed to local manufacturing projects such as GNG Welding, which has already created 14 jobs, as a model for sustainable growth.

Bushbuckridge by Numbers

· 11.2% of households lack running water

· 28,000 houses are urgently needed

· 1,500 toilets budgeted for Bushbuckridge South

· 97 graveyards without fencing

· 1.9% of residents live in informal settlements

As the dust settled at Ximungwe, one reality remained: Bushbuckridge’s 38 wards demand more than political theatre. The TLP has ended, but for residents, the real struggle for services, jobs, and dignity continues.

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