By Tumi Makgobotloane

Millions of rands have been set aside for service-delivery projects in Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, with Executive Mayor Petros Masilela saying the municipality’s work must ultimately be measured by the impact it has on residents.

But for Komati residents, one important question remains: how much closer is the community to having a permanent local clinic?

Masilela delivered his State of the Municipality Address on Friday 28 August, against the backdrop of longstanding concerns around access to healthcare in Komati, where residents have previously raised the need for healthcare services closer to home.

R86 million for service delivery

In his address, Masilela said R86 million had been set aside for service-delivery projects in the 2026/27 municipal budget.

The municipality’s overall budget stands at R2.6 billion.

Masilela also said the allocation forms part of a broader programme of projects aimed at improving services across Steve Tshwete.

The Mayor also reflected on work completed during the 2025/26 financial year, including projects involving roads and stormwater, water, sanitation, electricity, municipal facilities and emergency-response capacity.

Among the projects highlighted were the installation of new water lines, upgrades to pump stations, replacement of sewer lines, installation of biological toilets and the expansion of public lighting in various wards.

Five water tanks, each with a capacity of 10,000 litres, were also acquired to strengthen the municipality’s ability to respond to water-related emergencies.

Speaking about the municipality’s performance, Masilela said the State of the Municipality Address should go beyond simply outlining plans.

– steve tswete local municipality mayor,

petros masilela

“It’s important that the State of the Municipality is not only
promises, it must also be about accountability.”

For Komati, that emphasis on accountability is particularly relevant when it comes to longstanding community needs.

COMMUNITY VOICE: A resident asks Mayor Petros Masilela how women, particularly women-owned SMMEs and young women, will benefit from municipal spending on the digital and green economies.

The need for a local clinic

The call for a permanent clinic in Komati is not new, and it is not simply a concern raised in the wake of the latest State of the Municipality Address.

It has been documented as a community priority for several years.

During consultations with Komati residents between 2022 and 2023, the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) identified the lack of a local health clinic among the community’s infrastructure and service-delivery concerns.

The Commission began engaging with the community in January 2022 and visited Komati in July and October 2023 as part of its work examining the impact of the power station’s decommissioning and the area’s Just Energy Transition.

In its interim report, the PCC recorded that Komati residents lacked a health clinic and had to travel elsewhere to access healthcare.

The need for healthcare closer to home remains a priority for the community

In a June 2025 progress report, the PCC listed the establishment of a Komati clinic as an ongoing project.

The project is intended to support the establishment of a health clinic in Komati, led by the Department of Health, with support from Eskom and implementing agencies.

“Despite this, at the time of the report, the project was listed as being at the stage of facilitating discussions with relevant parties and fundraising.”

The project therefore predates the latest municipal address, and the need for a clinic has already been recognised within the broader Just Energy Transition process.

The road ahead for Komati

The provision and operation of public clinics primarily falls under the provincial Department of Health. Establishing a permanent clinic therefore requires cooperation between different spheres of government and other stakeholders.

The municipality can nevertheless play a supporting role by helping to facilitate discussions, identify suitable land and infrastructure opportunities, and bring relevant stakeholders together to explore ways of expanding access to healthcare in Komati.

The PCC’s 2025 progress report itself identifies the Komati clinic as a project requiring support from multiple stakeholders, with Eskom and implementing agencies playing a supporting role while the Department of Health leads the project.

In the same breath, Komati’s experience also shows that partnerships can play an important role in strengthening healthcare infrastructure.

In its 2024/25 State of the Municipality Address, Steve Tshwete Local Municipality highlighted the construction of Kwaza Clinic by Optimum/Liberty Coal, with operations extended to 24 hours, as well as the expansion of Sister Mashiteng Clinic through Glencore
funding.

These examples show how collaboration between government and private-sector stakeholders can contribute towards expanding access to healthcare.

For Komati residents, this experience provides a possible foundation for continued collaboration around the proposed local clinic.

What comes next for Komati

As discussions around infrastructure and service delivery continue, there are several areas where greater clarity could help residents understand the way forward for healthcare in the community.

These include:

• Is a permanent clinic in Komati part of the municipality’s current plans or future priorities?

• What discussions have taken place between the municipality and the Mpumalanga Department of Health regarding healthcare services in Komati?

• Has suitable land been identified or considered for a potential clinic?

• If the clinic is not currently budgeted for, what would the next steps and possible timeframe be for progressing the project?

These questions are not only about what can be done today, but about understanding how the different stakeholders can work together to bring healthcare closer to Komati residents.

Beyond the budget

For a community living through the consequences of the Just Energy Transition following the closure of Komati Power Station, infrastructure investment is about more than numbers on a budget.

It is about whether residents can see meaningful improvements in their everyday lives.

In his closing remarks, Masilela acknowledged that municipal work is ongoing.

“The work of government is never finished.”

He pointed to the continued need to maintain roads, repair pipes, support communities and protect public spaces, saying the municipality must remain committed to serving residents.

“What matters is that we remain committed to serve
our people and that we measure ourselves by the
impact of our work.”

For Komati, that impact will not only be measured in infrastructure projects and money allocated to service delivery.

It will also be felt in whether residents can access essential services closer to home.

The R86 million service-delivery allocation represents a significant commitment in the municipality’s 2026/27 budget.

For Komati residents, the hope is that the community’s longstanding call for a permanent clinic will continue to move forward through cooperation between the municipality, provincial government, Eskom and other stakeholders.

Because for a community that has been asking for healthcare closer to home for years, progress is ultimately measured by what residents can see, access and experience in their everyday lives.

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