EFF STATEMENT ON THE UNREALISTIC LIMPOPO SOPA.
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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Limpopo rejects the hogwash and
elusive rhetoric masqueraded as the State Of the Province Address delivered
by Premier Stanley Mathabatha on Thursday, 23 February 2023 at the Jack
Botes Hall in Polokwane.
The SOPA was riddled with empty promises and more evidence of a failing ANC
government. In his SOPA, Mathabatha remained vague about the timelines by
which the Giyani Bulk Water Project will be completed. For this reason,we
don’t have any confidence in the announcement of major projects set to be
implemented, which include the raising of the Tzaneen Dam wall, Olifants
River Water Resources Development, Musina-Makhado SEZ bulk water supply
and Nandoni Water Treatment Works.
The District Development Model is another a failed project as municipalities
continue to be plangued into disarray with unauthorised, irregular, wasteful,
fruitless expenditures being at the centre. Mopani District Municipality is one
good example of absurd governance after the municipality received a
disclaimer audit opinion for two consecutive years with no prospects of
improving.
The EFF has been vindicated as we have always called on municipalities to
abolish tenders and hire internal consultants. This would sway audit opinions
toward the right direction. In addition, the municipalities are not ready for
their own energy generation contrary to what the Premier alluded, because
Limpopo municipalities do not have the capacity to produce electricity while
they fail to provide services such as water.
The EFF notes with disappointment that the Premier only focused on 150
schools regarding the provision of proper sanitation facilities while over 500
Limpopo Schools are subject of inhumane conditions created by pit toilets. The
speech was undoubtedly shallow and did not address the real issues affecting
the community. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality are in the rise while
the Premier continues to praise a selective economic recovery plan which
doesn’t benefit the poor.
On the eve of SOPA the Premier sent his Public Works MEC to play to the
gallery by unveiling the Ga-Malekane, Steel-bridge project in order to deceive
the people of Sekhukhune that there is progress in road infrastructure
development whereas there is none.
The EFF strongly condemns the dodgy R128million investment between ZZ2
and Limpopo Government, which is compromising resident’s access to water.
Mathabatha has sold the water sources to the highest bidder in exchange of
the so-called investment, this enabled ZZ2 to steal water from rivers in
Mopani.
The EFF will in the next legislative sitting provide the most practical and
coherent State of the Province Address, thereby highlighting significant
interventions on the prevailing circumstances confronting the people of
Limpopo.
We remain resolute to fight for the people of Limpopo who are waiting with
bated breath for job creation, dependable and reliable supply of electricity.
