Limpopo Premier, Mr Cassel Mathale has indicated during the EXCO outreach programme in which he and his cabinet met the Blouberg Municipality community at Gemarke Village on 12 April 2012 that leaders were not bigger than the communities they served.



He said it was on this basis that the Executive Council met communities from time to time to listen to them concerning service delivery. The Premier said the government was not doing communities a favour when rendering a particular service, but it was obliged to do so. Owing to this, they should indicate their dissatisfaction or happiness about any service they received from government.

“You know what must happen in your village. If you are not satisfied with the allocation of [RDP] houses, say it and indicate the rightful beneficiaries to whom they should be allocated. The reason we came here is not to promise you heaven and earth, but to listen to you.

“We want to hear how we perform and how best can we do it from you. We also want you to understand the challenges we are facing as government. We learn from each other,” Mathale said.

He said communities must not be silent when shabby services are rendered. The Premier said they should not pretend as if nothing happened in case “a new tarred road” of lower standard was constructed in their area. The Premier said the community must stand up against such.

Mathale suggested that support to “agricultural projects” and others should be given to those that have shown keen interest and commitment. He said a person might for example; ask for support not because they were real farmers, but due to the distant hearsay that farming could make them rich. Premier Mathale appealed to his cabinet and all public servants to serve the communities with commitment.

“There is nothing these people need from us, except to serve them with dedication and determination. No individual is bigger than communities,” he indicated.