The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) warns that businesses forming the economic heartbeat of the Dipaleseng Local Municipality (Balfour, Grootvlei and Greylingstad) are on the brink of bankruptcy due to frequent power outages, a lack of maintenance and poor emergency repairs.
Businesses often have no electricity supply for hours on end, forcing them to purchase expensive generators.
Repairs to electricity infrastructure are frequently done incorrectly, e.g., phases are connected incorrectly. This has caused major damage to enterprises relying on three-phase power.
During a recent oversight visit to Grootvlei, concerned entrepreneurs confirmed that their profitability has plummeted. Some have already had to retrench staff – a direct blow to job creation.
With Mpumalanga’s unemployment rate already above 48%, the Municipality’s maladministration is directly destroying much-needed employment opportunities.
As is the case with many rural towns, residents are migrating to larger cities due to a lack of jobs and limited shopping options for basic needs.
This, in turn, reduces the spending capacity in smaller towns and makes establishing new businesses in places such as Dipaleseng less attractive.
The National Treasury (NT) and the Auditor-General (AG) recommend that at least 8% of the value of existing infrastructure assets should be spent on maintenance annually.
This is not merely a compliance requirement – it is an act of fiscal responsibility and an investment in residents’ quality of life.
The Municipality simply cannot afford to allow infrastructure to collapse when there is a clear and implementable guideline to prevent it.
To halt further decay, the Freedom Front Plus has already submitted practical proposals to the Municipal Manager, Mr Lwazi Cindi, for securing critical infrastructure, a replacement programme, and upgrading the electricity and water networks.
The party is ready to offer viable solutions and fight for recovery, growth and job creation in Dipaleseng.
