Government has promised to accelerate efforts to resolve long-standing service delivery challenges facing residents within the Phokwane Local Municipality in the Northern Cape.
Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Tandi Mahambehlala, made the commitment while leading an official delegation during an Integrated Service Delivery Outreach Visit to the region on behalf of Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
The municipality continues to grapple with severe difficulties, including unreliable water supplies, failing asbestos pipelines, electricity interruptions, housing backlogs, poor roads, and an unemployment rate estimated at 43%.
During the oversight programme, officials inspected key regional projects such as the Vaalharts Taung Irrigation Scheme, the Vala Zonke Project, and the Pecan Nut Processing Plant to assess infrastructural bottlenecks.
Mahambehlala acknowledged that community interventions have faced unacceptable delays and emphasised that authorities must transition immediately from prolonged discussions to tangible execution.
“Implementation has not happened at the speed communities deserve,” Mahambehlala stated.
Water and sanitation pressures remain acute in areas like Pampierstad, where ageing infrastructure and frequent pipe bursts hinder basic service delivery.
Housing backlogs and land development delays also drew sharp focus across settlements including Ganspan, Bonita Park, Kingston, Masakeng, Andalusia, and Nkandla.
To combat high youth unemployment, the Deputy Minister urged local businesses and agricultural employers to prioritise community recruitment, internships, apprenticeships, and localised procurement.
“Every infrastructure project, every agricultural investment, every housing development must become a vehicle for local job creation, skills development and enterprise opportunities,” Mahambehlala explained.
Furthermore, officials supported establishing a new Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college to expand post-school educational access locally. The Phokwane oversight visit also addressed infrastructural vandalism, electricity theft, and road networks such as the Kolong Road Project under the District Development Model.
Mahambehlala assured residents that all community grievances will be escalated directly to Deputy President Mashatile for comprehensive national attention.
