Bothashoek road blocked by community members demanding electricity
“If Hlatswayo can resign we will be happy, the GTM does not care about our needs. They are just fat cats who want to chow our money without delivering. We won’t stop until they tell us when they will electrify our houses.
BOTHASHOEK – More than 800 protesting residents have vowed not to stop their demonstration until the local cllr Joel Hlatswayo resigns.
The angry residents blockaded the main road leading to Burgersfort from Praktiseer with burning tyres and stones on Wednesday November 26, they demand electricity and water.
Bongani “Tamities” Ngele,ward (20) committee member said they wrote to the Greater Tubatse Municipality (GTM) on several occasions demanding services but the municipality never responded to their demands.
“If Hlatswayo can resign we will be happy, the GTM does not care about our needs. They are just fat cats who want to chow our money without delivering. We won’t stop until they tell us when they will electrify our houses,” Ngele fumed
Ngele said the lack of power in their area was the reason crime was escalating in their village.
“Criminals always pounce on us in the dark; it’s high time we get electricity like our mayors and councillors,” Ngele said.
The protesters said that the municipality promised them electricity 17 years ago, but all in vain. School children that just finished their exams said the lack of electricity was negatively affecting their studies.
“It was hard for us to study using candles, we want electricity so that our brothers and sisters won’t suffer like us,” one matric learner said.
Spokesperson of Tubatse police Const Sello Movundlela told Steelburger/Lydenburg News that they were monitoring the situation.
” We dispersed the crowd with rubber bullets as they were trying to block the R37, Motorists are advised to use alternative routes as we try to clear the road, “he said.
Movundlela confirmed to the the paper that the protesting community members damaged three cars.
Spokesperson of GTM Mr Thabiso Mokoena said he will give a comment after consulting with the office of the mayor Mr Ralepane Mamekoa.
Bothashoek sections that are not electrified include Khalanyoni, Riverside and Takaneng.
Tubatse people’s hopes of getting electricity were doomed when the Operation mabone initiative failed. It was earmarked to electrify more than 21 villages in Tubatse. Operation mabone was valued for R231 million, the main stakeholders in the project was the National Treasury, Department of Energy and Eskom.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News can confirm that the road is currently not operating. This month the paper reported about more than five incidents whereby the roads were blockaded.
