THOHOYANDOU – Another chapter was added into the Limpopo history book, when the provincial MEC for Local Government and Housing, Maite Nkoana Mashabane launched Project Consolidate for the Thulamela Municipality on Monday. The function also marked the unfolding of the Thulamela Municipality Action Plan and the official launch of the Manamani Electrification Project.

Project Consolidate is a 24-month programme, initiated by Pres Thabo Mbeki in cooperation with the Minister for Local Government and Housing, Sydney Mufamadi, premiers from all the provinces and the provincial MECs for Local Government and Housing. The project came into being after the Department of Provincial and Local Government took a thorough capacity survey in order to determine the constraints faced by local government in policy design and implementation.

A number of municipalities that are experiencing a short-term need for an intense, hands-on support were identified. Thulamela is one of the 14 municipalities that also benefit from Project Consolidate – but interestingly, it only volunteered to become part of the project for the delivery of efficient service. Most of the benefiting municipalities are those with more than 30% of their earning population earning an income of less than R1 600 per month and those with an unemployment rate greater than 35%. Other benefiting municipalities include those with less than 60% of their households with access to electricity and a number of municipalities with more than 50% of their households considered indigent.

Project Consolidate enables the government to strengthen all of the 284 municipalities, whilst at the same time providing targeted and hands-on support to municipalities who have the greatest need as identified in the profiling exercise. It also draws from the practical experiences of people and seeks to provide sustainable solutions for service delivery.

Delivering of basic services

The proceedings for the official launch of Project Consolidate started at the Vhembe District Municipality Council Chambers, where MEC Maite Nkoana Mashabane gave an overview of the project and service backlogs.

She said Project Consolidate is important because the majority of the municipalities are failing to reach their expectations and they need to be given the necessary support by the government to provide quality service. She commended the Thulamela Municipality for winning the prestigious Vuna Awards earlier this year for its unique electrification partnership with the communities.

“Project Consolidate is about delivering basic services like water, electricity, quality housing, roads and other basic needs to the immediate communities. We have to make sure that our municipalities are fully and adequately staffed in order to provide excellent service. We can achieve more with the limited infrastructure at our disposal if we work together with a common goal of defeating unemployment and poverty…”

MEC Mashabane urged traditional leaders to work hand in hand with their respective municipalities for the development of the communities. “Traditional leaders have, for a long time, played in important role in the development of their societies and we need their assistance to achieve more. It is also important to evaluate our institutional capacity for the success of Project Consolidate…”

The MEC further urged politicians not to engage themselves in corruption, because it hinders progress in the lives of the ordinary man in the street.

“Pay for your municipal services …”

The Mayor of Thulamela Municipality, Khosi Thivhulawi Makumbane outlined the Thulamela Municipality Action Plan during the function. He unfolded the policies about good governance, financial viability, local economic development, institutional arrangements and public partnership. He also appealed to community members to pay for municipal services so that the municipality would be able to acquire more funds for community development.

“The current municipality debt from service defaulters stands at R149 738 349 and we need to reduce the debt by 30% at the end of the 2005/6 financial year. We are in a process of appointing service providers to help the municipality recover the debts…”

Makumbane further said the municipality has developed an anti-corruption strategy in order to promote good governance. He appealed to traditional leaders to avoid the allocation of land without involving the municipality for proper planning.

“This tendency creates problems for the municipality because, after the allocations, the residents do not approach the traditional leaders for services like water, roads and electricity but they need the services from the municipality. As a municipality, we encourage traditional leaders and Sanco to mobilize communities in partnership with the municipality, to pay for services and support municipal programmes…”

Partnership with the community

After the formal function at the Vhembe District Municipality Council Chambers, guests proceeded to Manamani Village, near Vuwani for the official launch of the Manamani Village Electrification Project. The project is one of those that the Thulamela municipality partnered with the community for electrification. When the project was conceived, it was initially intended to benefit 81 households who have contributed R1 500 per stand towards connection. The municipality carries the balance of R2 500 of the connection cost per stand. Upon the roll-out of the project, the number of households increased to 459 stands. The contract amount for the project is R172 334,87.

According to the consultant of the project, Lufuno Mphaphuli of Lufuno Mphaphuli and Associates, the progress registered at the project is at 50% and it will be completed in early October. “The planting of poles has gone to more than 70% whereas the stringing is at 50%. The MV Line Pole Planting stands at 50% and house connections are at an advanced stage…”

Mphaphuli said that, upon completion, the project will be handed to Eskom for maintenance and service. The contractor in the project is Karebo Engineering.