The recent wave of load shedding has once again put the spotlight on the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality's incompetence and its failure to maintain power infrastructure.
As a result of the Municipality's looting of funds, mismanagement and corruption, residents of the towns Bethal, Charl Cilliers, Embalenhle, Evander, Kinross, Leandra, Secunda and Trichardt did not only have to put up with load shedding, but also with additional unplanned power outages.
Over the past few years, the Municipality did not prioritise the upkeep and upgrading of outdated power infrastructure.
Many of the substations cannot handle the power surges when they are switched back on after a period of load shedding and consequently, they trip, leaving residents extremely frustrated.
The proposed Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and 2022/23 adjustment budget are both inadequate and will not solve the Municipality's infrastructure problems.
The Municipality's population is growing with 3,3% annually, while economic growth is only 1%.
Up until March, the Municipality had only spent about 30% of its municipal infrastructure allocations because it had appointed incompetent contractors who left new infrastructure projects half complete.
And now the unspent funds must be given back to the National Treasury.
This once again proves that the ANC's obsession with its failed policy of Affirmative Action (AA) and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) takes precedence over residents' needs and constitutional right to proper service delivery.
The only solution to the Municipality's problems is to appoint competent individuals and contractors who can do the job, regardless of what their skin colour may be.
The FF Plus will continue to put pressure on the Municipality to prioritise the upkeep and upgrading of critical infrastructure in a bid to attract vitally important investments to stimulate economic growth for the benefit of all residents.
