CAPRICORN DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY Sets the pace for strategic change in 2025

Executive Mayor: Cllr Mamedupi Teffo

In 2025, Capricorn District Municipality stands as a beacon of progress and resilience in Limpopo Province. Under the leadership of Executive Mayor, Cllr Mamedupi Teffo, the municipality is driving transformative initiatives that not only tackle pressing community needs but also lay the groundwork for longterm sustainable development. From addressing critical water and sanitation challenges to expanding service access through the opening of the first PostNet branch in Ga-Matlala, enhancing the lives of its residents.

Furthermore, strategic planning efforts are aligning the district for future growth, ensuring a cohesive and impactful response to both current and future demands. These initiatives reflect the municipality's commitment to improving service delivery, fostering economic development, and creating a more equitable and inclusive future for all.

A Coordinated Approach to Water and Sanitation

Capricorn District Municipality (CDM) continues to intensify efforts to address critical service delivery challenges across the district, with water and sanitation standing at the forefront of its developmental priorities in 2025. This commitment was underscored during a key meeting on 22 April 2025, when Executive Mayor Cllr, Mamedupi Teffo, led a delegation of mayors and officials in a strategic engagement with Limpopo MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Basikopo Makamu.

The meeting, hosted at the CDM Council Chamber, brought together representatives from across the district including acting mayors from Blouberg, Molemole, Lepelle-Nkumpi, and Polokwane as well as stakeholders from Eskom, Lepelle Northern Water, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). Executive Mayor Teffo made a presentation on the Differentiated Approach on water and sanitation, offering a detailed overview of the district’s water resource status, covering both ground and surface water sources. She outlined ongoing and planned water projects aimed at improving access and reliability, while also detailing the key challenges currently facing implementation.

The mayor further provided insights into the district’s sanitation service provision, current water demand, and future water needs forecast. Her presentation painted a comprehensive picture of both progress made while also shedding light on persistent obstacles spanning from critical infrastructure backlogs to ongoing delays in coordination among the various implementing stakeholders.

In response, MEC Makamu emphasized the importance of working collectively across government and institutional lines. “We need collaborative efforts to ensure our communities have consistent access to water,” he said. He called on municipalities to “develop and implement clear action plans to revive stalled water projects,” and urged that new strategies be adopted to “reduce water losses through better infrastructure management, enhanced maintenance, efficient revenue collection, and improved coordination and stakeholder engagement.”

The session marked a critical alignment moment, reinforcing the district’s resolve to build sustainable water systems and unlock long-delayed projects for the benefit of communities across Capricorn District Municipality.

PostNet Launch Brings Services Closer to Rural Residents

Capricorn District Municipality’s vision for inclusive development also came to life, with the official grand opening of the community’s first-ever PostNet branch at Tibane Shopping Centre in Ga-Matlala. This milestone event marked a breakthrough in bringing digital, logistical, and business solutions directly to the heart of a rural community.

The launch was attended by the Acting Executive Mayor, Cllr. Calvin Masoga, Member of the Mayoral Committee

(MMC) for Development Planning and Environmental Management Services. Delivering the keynote address on behalf of CDM Executive Mayor, Cllr. Mamedupi Teffo, Cllr. Masoga spoke about the practical and symbolic significance of development. “In today’s fast-paced, digital-driven world, access to services such as courier, printing, internet, and business solutions is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity,” said Cllr. Masoga. “With this PostNet branch, residents will no longer have to travel long distances to access these vital services. This development will reduce costs, save time, and empower local youth and entrepreneurs with tools to thrive,” said Masoga.

The branch, which opened its doors the same day, is expected to serve approximately 80,000 residents of the Ga-Matlala area and beyond. It will offer essential services such as printing, scanning, packaging, internet access, and courier logistics services that were previously either unavailable or only accessible in major urban centers. Importantly, the establishment of the branch has already created job opportunities for residents, contributing to employment creation and stimulating grassroots economic activity. The initiative aligns with CDM’s broader goal of enabling spatial equity by extending public and private services to rural zones that are historically left behind in economic planning.

District-Wide Strategic Planning Session

The momentum continued, when Capricorn District Municipality commenced a two-day Strategic Planning

Session at Bolivia Lodge in Polokwane.

The gathering brought together leadership and officials from CDM and its four local municipalities Blouberg, Polokwane, Molemole, and Lepelle-Nkumpi, marking a crucial engagement in shaping the district’s development trajectory leading up to the 2026 local government elections.

The session was officially opened by the Executive Mayor, Cllr Mamedupi Teffo. In her opening remarks, the Executive Mayor emphasised the critical timing of the session, stating, “Our communities are calling out louder than ever for responsive, accountable, and effective service delivery. As we approach the 2026 local government elections, our response must go beyond rhetoric, it must take the form of practical, measurable, and people-centered interventions.”

"Our communities are calling out louder than ever for responsive, accountable, and effective service delivery. Our response must go beyond rhetoric, it must take the form of practical, measurable, and peoplecentered interventions.”- Cllr. Executive Mayor Mamedupi Teffo

She reminded attendees of the broader purpose of their mandate, highlighting that local government’s role is not just administrative but transformational. “We are here not just to manage systems, but to improve lives,” she said. Cllr Teffo urged all participants to focus on identifying the root causes of service delivery challenges and to develop bold, sustainable solutions that reflect the unique realities of each municipality. She also pointed out the need to unblock obstacles delaying key catalytic projects across the municipalities. “In each of our municipalities, there is at least one major project that remains incomplete. We must address the bottlenecks and ensure that these projects are delivered,” she emphasised.

The two-day session included technical presentations by representatives from various sector departments and parastatals, who were tasked with contributing insights and shaping the strategic direction of the district. The forum also provided a space for municipalities to share lessons learned, identify areas for inter-municipal collaboration, and build capacity for implementation.

Vision for Lasting Impact...

Across these three initiatives policy alignment on water and sanitation, service decentralization through the PostNet opening, and strategic municipal planning, Capricorn District Municipality has demonstrated that its 2025 agenda is not just reactive, but deeply forward-looking.

By tackling infrastructure challenges, expanding access to digital and logistical services, and aligning strategic planning with grassroots realities, CDM is setting a strong foundation for equitable and people-focused development. Through visionary leadership, practical interventions, and active stakeholder engagement, the district is affirming its commitment to transformation that is both measurable and meaningful.