Ventersdorp: From fear to freedom in a new democracy

THRONGS of community members in the JB Marks Local Municipality converged on the local hall to engage face-to-face with the North West government officials led by stand-in Premier Madoda Sambatha.

The setting was Ventersdorp, a dorpie along the N14 motorway that was once synonymous with the right-wing Afrikaner politician Eugene Terre’Blanche, he of the infamous AfrikanerWeerstandbeweging (AWB).

“Thuntsa Lerole”, the provincial government’s flagship service delivery programme that also plays out as an opportunity for direct interaction with the community, takes place fairly regularly and is held from various locations across the North West.

It is led by the North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi. In Ventersdorp, however, he was represented by his MEC for Agriculture, Madoda Sambatha, who led the proceedings.

The several hundred members of the Ga-Mogopa community that attended Thuntsa Lerole on Friday were polite and civil towards the government officials despite a litany of complaints that they were raising. The aim of the direct community engagement is, among others, to expedite government feedback and action responses that are otherwise lost in the long bureaucracy of the State.

Sambatha was vividly pleased by the spirit of the engagements, citing the display of mutual respect that was shown throughout. As a result, vowed to take it upon himself to ensure that promises made to the people of JB Marks Local Municipality would turn into promises kept.

Among other complaints raised with the government was the constant overloading of the scholar transport. Residents expressed fears that watching their children packed perilously in scholar transport without any consequences was a difficult issue to live with.

On the spot, Sambatha implored the available officials of the Department of Basic Education to intervene. On the spot, officials from the education department vowed to ensure that by early next Monday, the issue will be dealt with.

Those were some of the tangible benefits of Thuntsa Lerole. Answers can be extracted instantly for political principals and their relevant officials are under one roof with the community. In short, there is no place to hide.

Thuntsa Lerole is also reputed for bulk services delivery. At Ga-Mogopa on Friday, a long list of good news was shared with the community. For instance, through the Department of Economic Development’s Empowerment Fund, which issues grants to emerging entrepreneurs, Sambatha announced the following contributions: Sewing machines and accessories, cutting machines, and diesel TLB forklift parts.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development handed over garden equipment, including hose pipes and vegetable seed packs, shade sheets and seedlings.

For the Mogopa Satellite Clinic, Thuntsa Lerole handed over garden equipment, a water tanker and other accessories. There was also a handing over of goats to two female beneficiaries who each received 10 female goats and two bucks.

In the end, the regular event was a major success, judging by the convivial spirit of the interactions. The Tshing township and Ga-Mogopa outside Ventersdorp are visibly underdeveloped. Most streets are unpaved, and residents in Ga-Mogopa said they shared their borehole with their livestock.

However, despite the challenges raised and challenges visible, the people of JB Marks Local Municipality as a whole exhibited respect and self-love.

As Sambatha was leading the large delegation of government representatives out of the Mogopa Community Hall, residents were respectfully dispersing, apparently trusting in the kind words of government officials.

As one resident said, hopefully it would not take too long for follow-up engagements to take place with the community that showed so much respect, displayed abundant hope and showed the government that the social contract with JB Marks municipality residents remains intact.

As Sambatha said as he left them: See you soon.”

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