Deputy President Paul Mashatile will visit Qunu, near Mthatha, on Thursday, 2 October 2025, to address long-standing service delivery concerns in the OR Tambo District. The Presidency says the trip follows complaints raised by Qunu community representatives in August about water and sanitation, electricity, access roads and basic infrastructure. The visit forms part of the District Development Model (DDM) push to coordinate national, provincial and local responses.
What Happened
- During an earlier stop in eNyandeni (Libode) on 19 August, community leaders from Qunu tabled urgent problems with water, sanitation and roads.
- In response, the Deputy President will lead a service delivery working visit with ministers, the Eastern Cape Premier and local leaders to check projects and meet residents.
- The Presidency says the programme will showcase government initiatives meant to speed up delivery and maintenance of core infrastructure across OR Tambo District.
(Source: The Presidency media advisory.)
Public programme (highlights, 1–2 October):
Wed, 1 Oct – Cultural youth engagement at Mthatha Arts Centre (09:00); handover of Ngqezu Welisizwe pedestrian/vehicular bridge in Port St Johns (11:00).
Thu, 2 Oct – Site visit to Siphe Development & Capacitation Agency in Kaplen Village, Mthatha (09:00); inspection of KSD Local Municipality reservoir, Ward 19, Qunu (09:45); engagement with Traditional Leaders at the Nelson Mandela Museum Youth & Heritage Centre, Qunu (10:00); community address at the Sports Hall, same venue (11:30).
Official Response
The Presidency says the visit is part of Mashatile’s mandate to lead the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Service Delivery and evaluate the DDM “One Plan” in the district. The DDM is a national framework led by CoGTA to align planning and budgeting across the three spheres of government so that water, sanitation, roads and electricity projects can be delivered faster and with fewer overlaps.
- Read more: The Presidency, CoGTA on the DDM, Department of Water & Sanitation, OR Tambo District Municipality, Nelson Mandela Museum.
Community Impact
For residents of Qunu, Mthatha, Libode and surrounding villages, the focus areas speak directly to daily quality-of-life issues:
- Reliable water: site visits to the KSD reservoir signal scrutiny over storage, reticulation and maintenance.
- Road access: the Welisizwe bridges programme in Port St Johns aims to improve safe movement across rivers for learners and small businesses.
- Jobs and small business: the programme includes the Siphe Development & Capacitation Agency, with the Small Business Development portfolio supporting SMMEs.
- Climate & greening: under the Presidential Ten Million Trees flagship, Mashatile will participate in tree-planting at multiple sites to promote climate resilience and public participation.
Local leaders told Pondoland Times that dependable water and safer roads remain “make-or-break” for small farms, school attendance and township tourism. “When bridges wash away or taps run dry, the whole micro-economy stalls,” a ward committee member in KSD said.
Next Steps
Residents can attend the public address in Qunu at 11:30 on Thursday or follow updates on official channels. The Presidency says the outcomes of the visit will feed into the district “One Plan”, with follow-up monitoring by the inter-ministerial team.
- Media & accreditation: Sam Matome Bopape 082 318 5251; Ishmael Selemale 073 163 1123.
- Enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President 066 195 8840.
- Related coverage: See our Eastern Cape hub and Service Delivery tracker.
