{"id":46013,"date":"2025-02-06T11:08:33","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T09:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/worse-off-than-before-20250205\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T15:34:26","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T13:34:26","slug":"worse-off-than-before-20250205","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/worse-off-than-before-20250205\/","title":{"rendered":"Worse off than before"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\n <b>Concerned resident, Welkom:<\/b>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Matjhabeng Local Municipality has, under the political and administrative leadership of its executive mayor, Thanduxolo Khalipha, and municipal manager, Adv Lonwabo Ngoqo, thus far lost all the cases against the munici\u00adpality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To date, the municipality has spent over R150 million of taxpayers\u2019 money, excluding the sheriff costs. This is despite the internal legal advice and council objection to pursue cases where there were no prospects of success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The decisions of Khalipha and Ngoqo have left residents without service delivery, no water, and swimming in raw sewage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Refuse collection is sporadic and street lights are not working. The streets are riddled with potholes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Will they be held accountable for their actions? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Can the citizens institute a class action lawsuit against the two for wasting ratepayers\u2019 money?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sooner we make those entrusted with authority to run our institutions pay for robbing the electorates, the better. It cannot be a return to business as usual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 <span>Letter shortened, editor<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Concerned resident, 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