A Mpumalanga municipality beset by long-standing service delivery problems faces a possible class action after a community organisation roped in two law firms to take on the council.
Sowetan this week ran a series of reports on how the Lekwa local municipality in Standerton has been unable to sort out a sewerage crisis which has seen raw sewage flowing in the streets in several areas while refuse collection has also come to a halt and roads riddled with potholes.
The class action by the community organisation calling itself Surviving Lekwa was announced yesterday by Tony Mathe and Marweshe Attorneys Inc who are assisting residents and ratepayers who are exposed to raw sewage on a daily basis.
There are also reports of alleged corruption and mismanagement of public funds by the municipality dating back to more than 10 years, leading to the current poor state of service delivery in the area.
Mathe said at this stage they were still taking instruction from their clients, Surviving Lekwa.
"Upon studying all evidence made available to us, we will then consider legal direction in this matter but given the severity of this matter we are not ruling out the possibility of bringing an urgent application against the municipality," Mathe said.
"That's all we can disclose now in protection of legal processes and respect thereof."
Community leader Wilma Venter told Sowetan the community had tried several times to negotiate with the municipality to improve service delivery but to no avail.
The municipality admitted in a statement that it was facing infrastructure problems, including sewer spillage in all areas and non-functioning sewer pump stations.
Spokesperson Thobeka Mtshiselwa said the municipality had prioritised pump stations with a budget of R7.5m and the Coligny sewer line that had collapsed was also being prioritised for the 2021/2022 budget with estimates that it will cost R16m.
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