Africa: Minister Senzo Mchunu, along with the two Deputy Ministers, David Mahlobo and Dikeledi Magadzi, and several senior officials of the Department are presently in a community meeting at the Musina Local Municipality in Limpopo.
The meeting aims to provide a platform for community members to voice out their experiences with the services they are meant to receive from local government, especially relating to the provision of adequate sanitation facilities and clean drinking water.
Community members are not mincing their words about the level of poor service delivery in the area, saying they often go on for months without water. One community member pleads for Minister Mchunu’s intervention.
Minister Mchunu stands and has since apologized profusely to the community. He applauds the community for standing firm when voicing out their frustrations without fear or favour.
“I am not going to lie; this is embarrassing. It is embarrassing for me to sit here and listen to how much things have gone wrong, how we have failed this community,” Minister Mchunu said.
He turns to the Acting Mayor of the Vhembe District, Anderson Mudunungu and Musina Local Municipality Mayor Godfrey Mawela, implores them to exercise urgency in the work that they should be doing.
“We need to provide reliable and sustainable water supply to Musina; in doing so, we have to address the growing demand and ensure it matches supply,” he said.
Minister Mchunu also adds that there is clearly a “trust deficit” between the community and the local leaders and says this needs to be addressed by playing open cards so that accountability can be upheld.
The meeting is still underway; more updates to follow!
