OR Tambo municipal bosses have set aside R84m to address water leaks and sewage spills in the nine towns that make up the district, including Mthatha.

The district is celebrating OR Tambo Month this October, and mayor Thokozile Sokanyile has announced several measures and commemorative events to pay homage to the struggle hero.

Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, Sokanyile said the R84m allocation for water and sanitation followed the municipality's adoption of its adjustment budget.  

“We want to minimise those leaks. We are losing millions of litres of potable water and this results in us losing potential revenue.”

She said the leaks and spillages not only created hazardous and unhealthy environments for residents, but also destroyed crucial infrastructure including roads.

She said the municipality had already employed 41 meter readers to assist with accurate billing.

The district municipality is under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit and the Hawks for corruption.

Asked if Tambo, who is regarded as the ANC's longest serving president, would be proud to have his name associated with an institution implicated in wrongdoing, Sokanyile said he would not be impressed at all.

But she insisted that she and her leadership were doing everything to root out corruption.

“No-one will get away with corruption, even if I myself am implicated. It means I have to face the consequences. Even Tata Tambo would not be happy about his name being associated with corruption.”

She described him as one of the great leaders in a generation of freedom fighters during the “dark period of colonialism on our continent”, and that the democracy enjoyed by South Africans today was a product of the selfless struggles and sacrifices of people like him.

Among the activities planned for the month is the relaunch of the Sicoca Sonke cleanup campaign, intended to beautify the streets of Mthatha.

A memorial lecture on Tambo will focus on sustaining and promoting ethical leadership and the values the late leader espoused.

A breast awareness campaign targeting thousands of rural women, an anti-gender-based violence campaign and a crime-fighting campaign, the latter in partnership with the SAPS and the SANDF, will also be held.

Cogta minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is expected to launch an economic hub.

The Dispatch previously reported that the district had officially been identified as one of the pilot sites for the state's district development model which seeks to ensure that all spheres of government work together on developmental programmes instead of duplicating them.

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