DA mayoral candidate slams service delivery failures

The Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate for Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality, Bettie Lawens, has criticised the municipality over ongoing water and electricity interruptions, deteriorating roads and unfinished infrastructure projects.

Lawens said residents of Middelburg and Cradock continued to endure unreliable basic services, with some communities allegedly experiencing water shortages lasting days, months or even years.

“Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of the lives of the residents of Inxuba Yethemba Municipality — days without clean water, days without electricity and days with roads that are looking like this,” Lawens said.

She also raised concerns about paving projects which she claimed had been abandoned before completion, saying the situation placed businesses and potential employment opportunities at risk.

“These are not caused by natural disasters, but by poor leadership and empty promises,” she said.

Lawens said the DA would stand with residents in its efforts to restore dignity, accountability and reliable service delivery in the municipality.

She also highlighted the condition of a vandalised building belonging to the Department of Public Works near one of the entrances to Middelburg from the Tarkastad and Gqeberha directions.

According to Lawens, the abandoned building has allegedly become a centre for criminal activity, despite being situated next to a residential area.

“There are people living here, and Inxuba Yethemba Municipality is doing nothing about this place,” she said.

The allegations concerning criminal activity at the building have not been independently confirmed.

Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality and the Department of Public Works had not yet responded to the concerns at the time of publication.