Note to Editors: Please find the attached soundbite in English by Cllr Luan Snyders.
Businesses in the Rustenburg industrial area and CBD are threatening to relocate elsewhere following Rustenburg Local Municipality’s failure to maintain roads and to ensure a stable supply of services such as water and electricity.
Private sector disinvestment from Rustenburg will result in a further collapse of the local economy and in more job losses, which will negatively affect the socio-economic prospects of residents.
The municipality has a responsibility to ensure that it creates a conducive environment that will attract investors to grow the local economy and create jobs for residents.
The municipality’s Infrastructure Department is failing to provide services to these companies and businesses. There has been no maintenance of roads in areas such as Zinniaville, Oos Einde, Obaro, Waterfall business areas and Mabe Park. Please photo here, here, here and here.
The Acting Director of Roads and Transport, Mr Obed Molele, has laid the blame solely on the trucks that frequently use these roads and yet his department has failed to maintain the roads in the past ten years, which should have been done using the higher rates and taxes that these businesses pay, together with higher charges for water and electricity as levied on-premises zoned for business.
The electricity and water supply in these areas is also sporadic and unstable.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Municipal Manager (MM), Victor Makona, requesting him to provide an action plan from the Department of Roads and Transport on how they will address the backlog in the maintenance of roads in these areas.
The MM must also address water leaks that have led to road erosion and potholes in Fatima Bayat and Klopper street in the CBD.
The municipality must work hard to ensure that it retains businesses operating within the municipality by delivering quality services.