Provision of basic services remains a huge challenge across many rural communities in the North West. One of the communities is Lotlhakane Village in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality, near Rustenburg, in the North West. Residents say their village is struggling to access clean drinking water, while the majority of them are staying in shacks and mud houses.
The residents say this infringes on their human rights to basic services.
Letlhakane village is about 92 kilometres from Rustenburg. The main tarred road, leading into the village, is riddled with potholes.
The village has a scattering of an estimated 5 000 households. Most stay in a combination of shacks, mud houses and a few RDP houses, built 10 years ago.
The residents say the area has not seen any developmental projects in the last 10 years. They claim that government’s neglect of their area infringes on their rights to decent housing, clean drinking water and employment, amongst others.
“We are struggling in our village. We are really struggling. There are no services,” says one resident.
“We do not have a clinic in our village and we have to go to Phela and when we get there, you will spend hours to be assisted and when you come back there is no water and we have to travel two hours to fetch water,” adds another resident.
Elizabeth Mpodu (34) is temporarily employed. She is staying with her three children in a shack, which also needs a huge face-lift.
Mpudu says staying in a shack is particularly unbearable during bad weather.
“Since I applied for RDP house there is nothing happening, even to get any information regarding them. When it rains we cannot sleep as we are afraid that our shack will collapse. So, I have to run to neighbours to protect my children,” she says.
Community representative, Orapeleng Setlhodi, says they are being taken for a ride because they only see authorities during election campaigns.
“When we go to the elections that is the only time they recognise us, but all along, they never communicate or visit us. So, this time around we are going to do what we have to do. What we are going to do, we are going to do whatever we want to do that will be a wakeup call to them,” says Setlhodi.
The village falls under Ward 18 in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality.
Ward councillor, Mamiki Radiokana, says some of the projects and community meetings have been halted due to COVID-19 regulations.
Radioakana says they will meet relevant stakeholders to discuss outstanding local developmental projects.
