Tsietsi Charles Mohabeloa, ex-Virginia resident:
I was born in Virginia in 1960 and attended the Tikwe Primary School, matriculating from the Mamello High School.
Afterwards, I studied engineering at the University of Zululand (UniZulu). I joined the Harmony Gold mining company in 1984, servicing different shafts in the Goldfields, North West, Gauteng, Papua New Guinea, and Australia until my retirement in 2024.
Much of my early life and family was in Virginia and the Goldfields. The Goldfields were buzzing with many opportunities and the standard of life was very competitive. Virginia, in particular, prided itself in being the wealthiest and cleanest in the region and province.
In 2000, I was one of the first people to complain about amalgamating Virginia into Matjhabeng because I felt other towns did not have the financial and human resource expertise Virginia had to run the municipality efficiently.
Fast forward, we visited Virginia and spent the festive season with my family for the first time in 13 years after relocating to Australia.
I had the shock of my life when I arrived on 23 December. My wife literally shed a tear when driving to my parents’ house.
Ladies and gentlemen, what has happened here? Why did you allow this mess to happen?
My eldest daughter, who was born here 40 years ago, could not believe her eyes. There is sewage spillage almost everywhere, uncollected refuse for weeks, broken street lights, and constant water leaks. It is dark at night and I am told home burglary has skyrocketed.
The first question we asked my family and friends was whether there is still a municipality here?
Instead of celebrating our return, our discussion was dominated by the poor state of affairs including the political infighting in the ANC and municipality.
The empty promises they have been sold by the comrades; the empty rhetoric by the president and Matjhabeng municipality leadership, and the rampant corruption they read about week in and out.
Almost everywhere we have been, people complain about tribalism at the municipality. Apparently the locals are only given Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) jobs while a particular tribe rules the municipality with an iron fist.
This was confirmed by relatives in Thabong and Kutloanong, who say our Xhosa brothers and sisters from the Eastern Cape have been preferred over the local Sothos.
They say you cannot be the mayor, speaker, or municipal manager if you are not Xhosa. They say this has been consistent in Matjhabeng, together with recycling the same people around the district, province, and Matjhabeng.
Residents tell me even when these people have committed misconduct, they are protected by the ANC because there are allegations that they steal together?.
I heard over R3 billion has been mismanaged and misappropriated in Matjhabeng in the past three years.
In the district municipality, they claim that about R30 million has disappeared, while there is alleged corruption at the Lejweleputswa Development Agency.
I hate racism and tribalism and I hope the leadership of the ANC can do something about one tribe calling the shots. One thing we have concluded from this trip is that our people trusted the wrong people to run their affairs and lives.
I would have loved to buy retirement property here, but we will now join the rest of the leadership at either the Vaal River or Cape Town. I hear most prefer to buy properties in the DA-run municipalities. – Letter shortened, editor.
