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FS officials want Mbeki's help
05/05/2006 11:36 - (SA)
Phutaditjhaba - Qwaqwa and surrounding regions are in need of special attention, eastern Free State local government officials said at a presidential imbizo on Friday.
Thabo Mofutsanyana district municipality executive mayor Mosebenzi Zwane recommended that the entire district should be declared a presidential development node.
"Moluti-A-Phufung local municipality (part of the Thabo Mofutsanyana district) is the only presidential node in the Free State," Zwane told President Thabo Mbeki who is on an imbizo in the area.
He was briefing Mbeki on the state of the district municipality.
Mbeki arrived earlier by helicopter for the start of a two-day presidential municipal imbizo in the eastern Free State.
Zwane said the main challenges facing the district were poor infrastructure to support economic development, capacity at local municipal level and the financial viability of the district municipality.
The district covers five local municipalities. They are Harrismith, Bethlehem, Memel, Warden and Paul Roux.
Outstanding debt collection in all local municipalities stood at R604.6m.
"Here we are doing badly," Zwane told Mbeki and four national ministers.
"Municipalities need to rigorously implement credit control measures and revenue enhancement strategies."
The region made headlines in 2004 and last year when protests against poor service delivery in many towns in the Thabo Mofutsanyana district municipality turned violent.
The protests in Harrismith, Bethlehem, Warden and Vrede led to similar demonstrations.
- SAPA
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