The DA in Limpopo will hold both the Mopani District Municipality and the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality accountable for the calamity currently unfolding in Phalaborwa, where the Eden Shopping Centre, housing Pick n Pay, is engulfed in flames—while incapacitated and ineffective municipal authorities stand by helplessly. (See video here)
When Mopani’s fire engine arrived, it had no water, and Ba-Phalaborwa’s fire hydrants either had no water or lacked sufficient pressure to be of any use.
This tragedy follows the devastating September 2023 veldfire that started on municipal land, destroying 12 houses and a lodge. Then, as now, fire hydrants were either dry or ineffective. The only reason the situation did not escalate further was the swift intervention of businesses and civil society stepping in where the government had failed.
Despite repeated assurances from both municipalities and empty promises from provincial MECs, nothing has changed in the past two years.
The effects of bad governance often start as a small, almost imperceptible flame. But when neglect and irresponsibility are allowed to fester, their consequences become an uncontrollable inferno—as we are witnessing today.
The DA in Limpopo stands in solidarity with the Ba-Phalaborwa community. They have suffered enough under the corrupt and ineffective governance of ANC-led municipalities. The time for positive change is now!
Where the DA governs, we govern well, with the safety and security of our communities as an apex priority.