Note to Broadcasters: Please find linked soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Gerhard Strydom.
The ANC-governed City of Matlosana Local Municipality’s failure to collect domestic refuse as scheduled is forcing residents to either resort to illegal dumping or to contract private companies to do so, while the municipality continues to bill residents for this non-existent service.
Throughout Matlosana garbage heaps attract vermin which poses a health risk to residents.
The City appointed Molebogeng Trading Enterprise to deliver refuse collection services in December 2023, however, since the R75 million contract was awarded, regular refuse collection services have all but ceased and are erratic at best.
It appears that Molebogeng Trading Enterprise is a Limpopo-based company, with no registered address in Matlosana except for a vacant stand in Uraniaville. The company also has no experience in managing refuse removal services.
Under the contract, Molebogeng Trading Enterprise was obligated to provide 10 refuse removal trucks in good working condition on 15 December 2023, with a requirement that 10 additional new refuse trucks be brought into operation three months within the contract period, and another six trucks at the five-month mark.
To date, only two trucks have been made available for refuse removal.
When we raised questions about this contract in Council, Matlosana Mayor, Cllr James Tsolela, defended the company stating that “it cannot be expected from a service provider to be able to have all the vehicles and equipment available to execute a contract like the refuse removal with seven days’ notice”.
Since it is now more than 100 days after the contract was awarded, the DA would like Mayor Tsolela to explain exactly how long it would take for a company awarded a multimillion Rand contract to start delivering refuse removal services because evidently the Municipality cannot meet this service delivery requirement with its own fleet?
This appears to be another contract awarded to line the pockets of cadres instead of delivering services to residents.
The DA will submit written questions to Mayor Tsolela to be answered at the next Council meeting. The people of Matlosana deserve to know:
1. Whether Molebogeng been paid in full per month as per the contract for refuse collection and how much has been paid to date;
2. What is the total number of operational trucks under this contract to date; what the delays are in meeting the contractual obligations; and.
3. Whether any penalties have been implemented for failure to meet contractual obligations?
DA-led governments throughout South Africa effectively monitor contracts awarded to deliver services to residents. Where there are concerns, our governments intervene immediately. In addition, the tender process is open to public scrutiny and we only award contracts to companies that meet the contractual requirements.
