The administrator at the Madibeng municipality has been requested to step in and urgently address service delivery in Brits and Hartbeespoort.

In a letter to the administrator, Adv. M. Motlogekwa, the FF Plus said that the deterioration in the once flourishing towns has reached a crisis point. “The deterioration and decay of these once prosperous towns have taken on disastrous proportions. The water infrastructure is outdated and dilapidated due to a lack of maintenance and timely upgrades. Thousands of litres of water go to waste due to leaking pipes every day – that is, on the days that there is water,” said councillor Elsa Lourens.

The storm water and sewage systems are likewise in a terrible condition and untreated sewage has been flowing down streets in certain areas for weeks now. The health risks that this poses to residents are obvious. Streetlights are not replaced and because the upkeep of town parks is neglected, it creates a breeding ground for more crime. Streets and roads are not maintained either and some streets have become nearly inaccessible. Power outages often last for days on end and some residents have, out of sheer desperation, started hiring private contractors to repair power substations.”

She said Brits once was a hub of economic growth that made a great contribution to job creation. However, under the circumstances created by the current rule in Madibeng, new investments have diminished drastically and the existing businesses are starting to dwindle.

The FF Plus and the DA have already tabled a motion of no confidence against the Mayor, Josthina Mothibi, but it will only be brought to vote in the council on 24 of November 2020. “We need immediate and drastic intervention to avert a crisis,” she said.