SABIE, Mpumalanga — Residents of the Simile informal settlement in Sabie are reconsidering their participation in the upcoming municipal elections due to prolonged service delivery failures that have left the community without basic amenities for years.
Born and raised in the area, locals describe a daily struggle to secure basic necessities. The community has endured a severe lack of water, electricity, and proper roads for an extended period. Residents report having to make alternative arrangements to fetch water, travel long distances to charge their cell phones, and journey far to collect firewood. Additionally, their homes frequently flood during heavy rains.
Despite annual budget allocations for infrastructure in the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), the residents feel they have been treated as the downtrodden masses, especially when comparing their living conditions to other areas that enjoy reliable electricity. Over the years, various councilors and mayors have campaigned on promises to fix the roads and provide water and sanitation, but the community argues that these pledges remain unfulfilled.
Consequently, many residents had initially decided to boycott the upcoming municipal elections. However, the emergence of new political parties has shifted their perspective. Some community members are now following these new entities, expressing hope that they will finally deliver on their electoral promises.
Beyond the lack of basic services, residents also accuse the local government of sidelining them in community development decisions. They pointed to a development project that has been ongoing for over five years, noting that the municipality has never consulted the community on whether the plan is to build RDP houses or to sell serviced stands.
Addressing the crisis, Thaba Chweu Local Municipality Executive Mayor Friddah Nkadimeng stated that the local government is currently relying on temporary measures to supply water to the informal settlement. Nkadimeng explained that the municipality’s long-term strategy involves formalizing the settlement, which is a necessary prerequisite for installing formal infrastructure and services.
Furthermore, the municipality highlighted that continuous land invasions remain a thorny and complex issue that significantly hampers their ability to execute effective service delivery in the area.
