21 Feb 2013

Refuse collection in Selebi Phikwe has been a challenge over the last two months due to lack of resources.

Addressing a council meeting on Wednesday, Selebi Phikwe mayor, Mr Tebogo Matlhogonolo said towards the end of last year, two of the three compactors broke down, making it impossible for the council to collect refuse. 

However, he said the compactors had now been repaired and the situation would return to normal. The mayor however called upon residents to desist from illegal dumping of waste, saying the costs of waste management were escalating.

Still on waste management, Mr Matlhogonolo said all aspects of waste water management had been transferred to Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) with effect from January this year. 

"All matters relating to waste water be it blockage of sewage pipes should be referred to the corporation," he added.

Meanwhile, Mr Matlhogonolo said Ipelegeng projects were progressing well in the township as more than 1 000 people were employed each month. Since April last year, 35 000 people had been engaged in the social welfare programme, while 16 projects had been completed.

"A total of P10. 6 million was disbursed for the programme and P6.8 million had been utilized to date," he said.

The mayor, who is also a councillor for Sesame/Kagiso, said the youth recreation centre was completed on schedule and on budget. The facility, he said, had been used for constituency games and council had plans to continue with other aspects such as landscaping to make it more attractive to the youth.

He said the sporting activities that would be played at the P1 million facility were rugby, volleyball, basketball and football.

However, he decried the declining number of participants in constituency art competitions as about more than 100 youths had registered, comparing with the more than 300 that had registered when the competitions started.

Mr Matlhogonolo appealed to councillors to encourage their electorates to participate in the Mascom Phikwe Marathon billed for June 15 this year. He further said it was important for local small and medium enterprises to take advantage of the annual event by operating stalls on the day.

On primary education, the mayor said the phenomenal performance of schools in the mining town was a clear demonstration the council was playing its role.

He said P273 000 had been allocated to purchase farm produce from locals during the harvest season and would be distributed to schools based on student population.  The handyman programme has however been affected by budgetary constraints but said the little they had should cover minor repairs.  ENDS