KWAGGAFONTEIN – The Executive Mayor of Thembisile Hani Local Municipality, Cllr Lesetja Dikgale, together with members of the Mayoral Committee, hosted a Mayoral Imbizo at the municipal council chamber on April 4.
The engagement primarily aimed to brief traditional leaders and the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (CONTRALESA) on the 2025/2026 Mayoral Outreach Consultative Programme, promoting collaborative and inclusive governance.
During his address, Mayor Dikgale presented the Mayoral Outreach Report and reaffirmed the municipality’s vision to transform Thembisile into a fully-fledged town.
He emphasised a shift from reporting to action, declaring that the time for explanations is over and now is the time for delivery.
He revealed that out of Thembisile’s 110,563 households, 82,922 have access to water, leaving 20% still without coverage. The number of households with access to sanitation remains low at 2,211, while 107,246 households are connected to electricity. Furthermore, 92,463 households benefit from refuse removal services, indicating that approximately 90% of residents are receiving this essential service.
In addressing sanitation challenges, Dikgale announced plans for the construction of the largest wastewater treatment plant in the municipality, to be located in Lithuli. The plant is expected to be operational by 2030, aligning with the anticipated arrival of running water from Gauteng.
On electrification, the mayor noted that outstanding areas mainly involve new extensions.
Completed projects for the 2024/2025 financial year include Msholozi Farm (Ward 4), Mabhoko households, and Savanna Zenzele sections. Planned projects for the current financial year include electrification in Wolwenkop.
Regarding infrastructure development, Dikgale said the municipality has begun paving major roads and will extend this to roads leading to public facilities such as graveyards, clinics, and schools. The goal, he said, is to eliminate dusty roads by 2050.
As part of strategic planning resolutions, the municipality committed to:
Monthly strategic reviews and quarterly council reporting
Ongoing implementation of a revenue enhancement strategy, supported by public awareness campaigns via community radio, social media, and newsletters
Creating meaningful employment and fostering intergenerational workplace unity
Increasing the training budget by 5% to benefit all staff and councillors
Offering internal bursaries to support further studies
Establishing partnerships with sector education and training authorities (SETAs) to address skills shortages
Renaming Head of Department positions to Executive Directors for district-wide synergy
Strengthening the Business Unit by appointing a dedicated administrator and inspector to support local entrepreneurs
Hosting four family street markets and one farmers’ market in collaboration with various stakeholders
Organising a township economy revitalisation indaba focusing on spaza shops and general dealers
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