[VIDEO] Businesses close as protesters take over CBD
The cold early morning wind brought along angry protesters, forcing businesses to close their doors.
At around 9.30am this morning, thousands of protesters gathered in town to try and get a bit of municipal attention.
The protest actually started early this morning in Munsieville where residents made their way around Town Hall towards Market Street where they tried to gain entrance, but the gates were already closed.
Mogale City’s traffic officers along with local police cordoned off a part of Market Street, blocking traffic from all directions.
The hordes of unhappy Munsieville residents were up in arms because of the lack of service delivery in their area. The residents are sick and tired of being forced to use buckets as toilets, feeling as though they are being treated like animals.
The residents were mostly from the informal settlement parts of the township.
“We are sick and tired of being forgotten. They promise us toilets, water and electricity every year, and every year they fail to deliver,” one angry protester told the News.
According to the protesters, their ward councillor makes empty promises.
“We are told that we are dirty and that we must stay in our shacks.”
A butchery situated across Town Hall was one of the businesses which had to close their doors, unable to do business.
“The entire street is closed off, so we closed the shop,” the manager said.
Mogale City’s Executive Manager in the office of the Mayor, Leonard Seoposengwe, told the News that providing informal settlements with individual taps is a very difficult task.
“We cannot install metered taps unless it is a formal household.”
Seoposengwe explained that a meeting between officials in Mogale City was ongoing and that they are “weighing their options.”
“We are trying to come up with a solution like formalising informal settlements.”
This means providing residents with house numbers and road infrastructure.
The Democratic Alliance has called a meeting with the News and the Munsieville ward councillor. The News will keep its readers up to date.
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