GA MASHAMOTHANE – Fed up with lack of services in their area, local residents did what they do best. They hijacked two trucks on Tuesday morning and blocked the R37 Road.
The one truck belonged to the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) which was on its way to fetch wood in Hoedspruit. The other was from the Zebediela bricks company heading for Polokwane.
Children going to school and workers were left stranded on the busy road between Burgersfort and Polokwane as there was no movement of cars.
One of the drivers, Mr Elmon Moshoeu told Steelburger/Lydenburg News that he was stopped by a crowd of more than 200 men who told him to park the truck in the middle of the road.
“They threatened to beat me up. I obliged as I was scared for my life,” he said.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News has been reliably informed that the residents from Mashamothane and Madiseng demanded the Greater Tubatse Municipality to electrify their homes.
By the afternoon, the road was still blocked. The driver of the one truck alleged that the keys had been burned. Burning tyres and rocks were also used to barricade the road. Tubatse police tried to remove the blockade but without successes.
Police and traffic officials were seen directing the cars to alternative gravel roads in the village. Spokesman of the Tubatse SAPS, Const Sello Movundlela said they were still busy with their investigations and promised to report back to the paper. “When we arrived, the road was blocked and there was no community member nearby.”
It was not the first time that locals had blocked roads in demand of electricity, last December they also used two trucks to obstruct the same road.
