{"id":294765,"date":"2025-11-27T12:32:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T10:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/?p=294765"},"modified":"2025-11-27T12:32:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T10:32:45","slug":"complaints-on-deaf-ears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/complaints-on-deaf-ears\/","title":{"rendered":"Complaints on deaf ears"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Opposition politicians are calling for urgent reforms to the Matjhabeng Local Municipality&#8217;s failing complaints system as residents endure weeks of service delivery collapse across the region.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The DA has demanded immediate strengthening of the municipality&#8217;s call centre to ensure service complaints are properly logged, tracked and resolved within 48 hours.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;By restoring an efficient complaints system, residents will once again experience reliable service delivery,&#8221; said Cllr Marie van Rooyen, DA representative for the Matjhabeng Local Municipality.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-efficient-complaints-system\">Efficient complaints system<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Van Rooyen argued that unaddressed service failures expose residents to health risks, financial strain, and declining living standards. She emphasised that an effective call centre with competent personnel has become critical in Matjhabeng, where residents have lost confidence in municipal services.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;A call centre must be staffed by officials who can handle and redirect service complaints to the appropriate municipal departments, supported by dedicated personnel who will follow up on complaints and have the determination to resolve problems within 48 hours,&#8221; she stated.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-scale-of-crisis\">Scale of crisis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The scale of the crisis became apparent when refuse collection ceased for almost seven weeks, forcing residents to hire private contractors at their own expense whilst continuing to pay municipal rates for undelivered services.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1058\" height=\"642\" data-attachment-id=\"294835\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/complaints-on-deaf-ears\/service-delivery-issues-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/service-delivery-issues-3.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1058,642\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"service delivery issues 3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/service-delivery-issues-3-1024x621.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/service-delivery-issues-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-294835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/service-delivery-issues-3.jpg 1058w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/service-delivery-issues-3-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/service-delivery-issues-3-768x466.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/service-delivery-issues-3-1024x621.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1058px) 100vw, 1058px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Refuse removal crisis i Matjhabeng<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The council makes daily promises that effective service delivery is a priority, yet there is no accountability. Complaints are lodged every day, to no avail,&#8221; Van Rooyen said.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The DA has outlined three key demands: the implementation of an effective call centre; the restoration of weekly refuse removal; and the deployment of trained officials capable of managing tasks within established timelines.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-response-within-24-hours\">Response within 24-hours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rooyen argued that a properly functioning municipality should respond to the following complaints within 48 hours:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25a0 water leaks requiring urgent attention;\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25a0 sewerage spillages and raw sewage flowing in streets;\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25a0 potholes and deteriorating road infrastructure; and\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25a0 littering incidents and prosecution of offenders.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Van Rooyen concluded that paying residents deserve reliable services, whilst those who default on payments must face accountability.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-paying-residents-deserve\">Paying residents deserve<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The ongoing crisis in Matjhabeng has highlighted broader challenges facing local government service delivery, with residents increasingly bearing the cost of municipal mismanagement through deteriorating living conditions and additional private service expenses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Opposition politicians, especially the DA, are urging reforms to the Matjhabeng Local Municipality&#8217;s inadequate complaints system due to persistent service failures. They demand a robust call centre to ensure complaints are promptly addressed within 48 hours. 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