Balfour, Mpumalanga – Frustrated residents of Balfour are demanding the immediate intervention of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, calling for the Dipaleseng Local Municipality to be placed under administration.
The community cites crippling and persistent service delivery failures, including chronic water outages and electricity disruptions, which they allege are exacerbated by rampant corruption and financial mismanagement within the municipal government.
The call for a provincial takeover was articulated by community leader Mr. Nkosana Mngomezulu, who detailed the severe challenges faced by residents. He alleged a syndicate of corruption operates without fear of consequence, directly implicating the Municipal Manager as a central figure.
“We are appealing to the minister… to come and attend to the issues of this municipality. This municipality deserves to be put under national administration. It must be overseen nationally. We have lost hope,” said Mngomezulu.
The most immediate crises involve basic necessities. Mngomezulu stated that residents are forced to “drink dirty water every day,” claiming the municipality has no viable plan to resolve the ongoing water issues.
The electricity supply is equally dire, with constant interruptions, particularly in the area known as W3. Mngomezulu alleged that the power failures in W3 are not merely infrastructural neglect but a deliberate strategy for looting municipal funds.
“They use W3 as an opportunity to loot the municipality,” he claimed, explaining that electrical infrastructure is repeatedly vandalized whenever the municipality is due to receive allocated funds. He accused officials of knowing the vandalism hotspots but failing to provide security.
The financial mismanagement extends to a massive debt owed to Eskom, which Mngomezulu stated exceeds R200 million. Instead of addressing this historical debt through its agreed-upon plan with the power utility, the municipality allegedly opted to install a new power line without Eskom’s permission.
“They used millions of rand to put that line [but] that line is not working,” Mngomezulu said, confirming that the community continues to face the same electricity challenges. He asserted that the only solution is to upgrade and maintain the existing electrical infrastructure, but claimed officials neglect this because they benefit financially from the ongoing chaos.
The residents have expressed a complete loss of confidence in both the local and provincial government, claiming their grievances are not taken seriously. They are now pinning their hopes on Minister Hlabisa to initiate a Section 139 intervention, which would see the provincial executive assume control of the failing municipality.
