NEW COUNCIL CHAMBERS READY TO HOST MATAT COUNCIL
After years of social media discussions and allegations of corruption by opposition parties new Matatiele Municipality council and offices have at last been completed
By Teboho Makhetha
The Matatiele Local Municipality Council has at last finished the construction of the new offices which have been the talk of the town as it took close to 10 years under construction. Mayor Momelezi Mbedla presented the state of the art offices to the media last week.
Allegations of corruption and the ballooning of the costs to build the chambers was the talking point especially by the opposition parties. The initial costs for the offices were R33million but the municipality has up to date forked out R23million more.
In presenting the new offices Cllr Mbedla did not explain how did the costs skyrocket from R33m to R56m instead he voiced joy about the completion of the new council chambers during their term.
“The construction of the new Council Chambers has been one of the most talked about projects on Social media platforms, today we can without a doubt announce to the people of Matatiele, that the project is now on practical completion stage”, he said.
In an interview last year, acting municipal manager then, Vuyo Mlokothi, told the informer that the municipality has gone to court in an effort to recoup about R20m from a company which could not finish the building of the offices.
Turning to the issue of electricity Cllr Mbedla told the media that his municipality had targeted to electrify all rural areas but things did not go according to plan. He said, as a consequence the municipality is 30% less to finish their target.
“We know that there are still communities that are waiting for this reality, but we remain committed in realising our goal of universal connectivity to all Matatiele communities by 2022. This week we introduced to the communities, contractors appointed to connect about two thousand and fifty-four (2 054) households in wards 5, 7, 9, 12, 18 and 22 at Hillside, Khesa, Sidakeni, Malosini, Epiphany, Phalane, Mkhemane, Sifolweni, Ngcwengana, Mnqayi, Vikinduku, Mafaisa and Lubaleko villages”, said Mbedla.
Addressing the issue of unemployment which is affecting the majority of young people Cllr Mbedla said the shocking stats by Statistics SA that 8,6 million young people aged between 15 and 34 years are not in education and not in employment came as no surprise. However he said they have tried their level best by assisting about 400 youth around Matatiele to study and work in different fields.
“We have changed the lives of more than 400 young people. We have enrolled them to Institutions of Higher Learning. Some of our bursary beneficiaries now contribute to the economic growth of our communities, as they have started working for other sectors” Mbedla said. Some of these young minds have been enrolled by the municipality through in-service programme and internships.