The DA caucus in the Polokwane Municipality will table a motion in the next meeting of the ANC-led Council calling for an urgent, multi-departmental intervention to address the City’s escalating service delivery failures and backlogs. This in response to the glaring disconnect between the idealistic vision presented by Mayor John Mpe in his recent State of the City Address and the daily lived experiences of Polokwane’s residents.
Despite a growing crisis, Mayor Mpe failed to present a coherent plan and instead hid behind political rhetoric, exposing his disconnect and disinterest. Many of the DA’s concerns raised during the debate went unanswered.
He failed to present a plan to resolve the more than 60,000 non-functional prepaid and conventional water meters across the city. At the current rate, it would take nearly a decade to replace them all.
In Mankweng, residents are nearing a decade of receiving free water—an unsustainable situation consuming over 60% of water from the Ebenezer Scheme. Meanwhile, other areas endure years without reliable water access. It is incomprehensible that the development moratorium was lifted while reservoirs remain underfilled and supply is insufficient.
The DA reiterates its call for scheduled water shedding to allow residents at least two to three days a week to fill tanks and containers, pending infrastructure repair and reservoir recovery.
We remain alarmed by the ongoing pollution of the Sand and Blood Rivers, worsened by the slow pace of wastewater treatment upgrades—causing severe environmental and socio-economic harm to riverside communities.
On infrastructure security, thousands of streetlights remain non-functional while the municipality spends millions replacing stolen cables. The DA calls for smart surveillance solutions, including drone technology, to monitor high-risk areas and deter theft.
While we welcome the ‘My Polokwane Citizen App’, its limited functionality and reporting restrictions render it inadequate for urgent service complaints.
Budget implementation remains weak: core maintenance budgets are either too small or depleted mid-year. Revenue collection must improve, and the R300 million owed by government departments—including R248 million by the Department of Rural Development—must be urgently recovered.
We remain opposed to the proposed Eco Estate in the Polokwane Nature Reserve, while other municipal land is available that would not endanger sensitive biodiversity.
The DA calls for a full land audit to identify municipal assets, curb illegal land use, and promote responsible planning. The establishment of a Municipal Court should also be considered.
The DA will not stand by while residents suffer under an administration that favours vanity projects over service delivery. We will continue to pressure the municipality to prioritise the needs of the people and return to the fundamentals of responsive, accountable local governance.