Polokwane residents hope improved service delivery ahead of local govt polls
Residents in Polokwane and surrounding areas say they are hoping for meaningful change ahead of this year’s local government elections in November.
Concerns over deteriorating roads and rising unemployment were raised during a stakeholder session hosted by Executive Mayor John Mpe on Wednesday evening.
Residents who spoke to Jacaranda Newswatch highlighted the growing number of potholes in their communities, saying service delivery remains a major challenge.
Meshack Namathe from Juju Valley in Seshego said the area had been overlooked despite promises made when the current administration took office.
“We are situated right next to Seshego Zone 1 where they are getting services, but we are not. Juju Valley is nowhere reflected in the municipality’s budget. We are only remembered during votes. Public transport is also a huge concern as it cannot access the area, leaving the elderly most disadvantaged,” he said.
Meanwhile, Itumeleng Mothapo from Rainbow Park said he was hopeful that the upcoming elections would bring improvements.
“We are looking forward to better roads in our area and employment opportunities for young people, because those two issues are critical for us,” he said.
POLOKWANE MUNICIPALITY PLANS TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES: JOHN MPE
Addressing the gathering, Mpe acknowledged the challenges raised by stakeholders, and said the municipality had plans to resurface and rehabilitate damaged roads in Polokwane and surrounding areas.
He added that some road projects were already underway, wherein the municipality was patching potholes, resurfacing roads and rehabilitating them.
“When this current administration took office, there were a lot of infrastructure backlogs. We have so far resurfaced, upgraded and constructed over 100 kilometres of road infrastructure.
Beyond improving mobility and connectivity, these projects have created more than 5000 jobs, injecting income into local households while empowering contractors, SMMEs, engineers, artisans and suppliers.
As we break it down, we have upgraded from gravel to tarred 77 kilometres and re-paved 16 kilometres of gravel roads into paving over the past years,” Mpe said.
The executive mayor also reiterated plans to revitalise the Polokwane CBD, aiming to create a cleaner city and attract more investment.
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