Avoiding the road to ruin: Businesses taking over government’s job

'We have come to the realisation that we have got no other choice. We have to create a parallel system where we work with private companies.' As local government appears to be failing to deliver basic services in the Free State, local businesses say they have taken on some of the municipalities’ responsibilities. In a sit-down interview with The Citizen, Welkom Business Forum chairperson Jakes Jooste said his company, along with several other businesses, has taken on the responsibility of filling potholes where they can and maintaining some areas regarded as council property. “We are very involved with refuse removal on a day-to-day basis. We have got about six or seven staff with vehicles with trailers with our own identifying blue bags, so whenever you move around town, and you see the blue bags, you know that is the business forum at work.” LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more! View Map The chat was part of The Citizen‘s travels across the length and breadth of the country to explore the lives, struggles, successes, and frustrations of everyday South Africans ahead of this year’s local government elections. Around 500 businesses filling the gap Jooste said around 500 businesses help fill gaps where the municipality fails to deliver basic services. He said some members of the business forum are now also employing private companies to read their meters because of problems with the municipality’s meter-reading and billing system. “We have come to the realisation that we have got no other choice. We have to create a parallel system where we work with private companies. “It’s not a question of business or residential guys not wanting to pay. It is just when you have been receiving interim accounts for so long, you then start losing faith in the system.” Jooste says business has also stepped in to help manage the sewage crisis in Welkom. The Matjhabeng Local Municipality has declared the sewage problem a disaster and has appealed for intervention from national government. “We are forced to use some of the local contractors and stuff to help us out of the conundrum to make sure that we can restore the proper flow of sewage – and that is business doing that,” he said. Filling potholes in Bloem In Bloemfontein, private companies are also helping repair roads and fill potholes. The Citizen spoke to DA councillor Tjaart Van der Walt about businesses’ role in service delivery. “All over Mangaung, we have a massive pothole problem. If you go into townships, the roads are non-existent, but even in the suburbs, on the main roads, you will find potholes everywhere. Mangaung is not budgeting enough for the basic maintenance and refurbishment that is needed.” A road riddled with potholes in Mangaung. Picture: Dylan Mohlala/ The Citizen Van der Walt said a construction company called Raubex has filled thousands of potholes in Mangaung as part of its corporate social responsibility. He said in some suburbs, neighbourhood associations have also taken it upon themselves to fix their own roads. A road repaired by businesses in Mangaung. Picture: Dylan Mohlala/ The Citizen Picking up litter and refurbishing signs in Mafube In the eastern part of the Free State, businesses are also helping the municipality to perform its duties. The Citizen spoke to Hans Pretorius, a founder of the Mafube business forum, who said businesses help by writing street name signs and filling potholes. “Businesses have cleaned the pavements. We have a guy removing refuse for a fee per month,” he said. ANC: We are fixing municipalities and serving residents ANC spokesperson in the Free State, Thabo Meeko, told The Citizen his party was aware of the province’s challenges. He said the ANC had taken political and administrative steps to change things around. “We are acting against even members of the ANC that we have deployed, to ensure that we fix these municipalities and they are able to serve our people.”