Note to Broadcasters: Please find linked soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Agust Schnepel.
Barely a year after the ceiling collapsed in the office of the Head Inspector at the Lichtenburg Licensing Department, the facility had to be closed again following a partial roof collapse this week because the building has not been maintained and rotting infrastructure. See photos here, here and here.
The DA in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality wrote to the Municipal Manager, SK Maroga, requesting that interim measures be put in place to ensure that licensing services continue at an alternative venue since municipal officials refuse to work in a building that is evidently unsafe for themselves and members of the public. He must also ensure that the equipment and confidential documentation on the premises are secured. See letter here.
We are also calling for a full inspection to be conducted to identify all major risks with the building and that adequate repairs are authorised to bring the building in line with the occupational health and safety regulations. The building should also undergo a safety inspection after the work has been completed to be issued a safety certificate before the department resumes services at these premises.
We are relieved that no injuries were recorded following the incident.
MM Maroga should urgently announce interim measures so that residents and businesses can continue to access licensing services.
It is a sad state of affairs that Lichtenburg, once the jewel of North West, has collapsed to the extent where the most basic services cannot be delivered. Under the three-decade-long failed governance of the ANC, Ditsobotla’s towns are literally falling apart from a lack of maintenance and repairs.
Residents should join hands to rescue Ditsobotla by registering to vote DA in this year’s elections because only a DA-led government can rebuild what the ANC has destroyed.