Residents protest for removal of manager
He added that he was shocked that after more than a decade of democracy the communities still lacked water, clinics, hospitals, roads and electricity."Why don't the GTM managers use their minds? They cannot bring toilets and pavements to the people while we are in dire need of water and electricity. We travel miles away to the only hospital (Dilokong) which is far away from us and is also understaffed."
BURGERSFORT – “We want the Greater Tubatse Municipality (GTM)’s executive council to get rid of the municipal manager (MM), Mr Johannes Mohlala, before the upcoming local government elections,” was the demand of disgruntled protesters that descended to the municipality’s civic centre on May 16.
More than eight communities that included Alverton, Mafarafara, Mahlashi, Kgotlopong, Mashamothane, Bothashoek, and Tswelopele Park protested at the GTM, demanding better services from the municipality.
The hundreds of strikers arrived in more than 10 buses, singing struggle songs escorted by a strong police unit.
Delivering the memorandum of demands, the two conveners Mr Nkoemakae Mmola and Mr Bongani Ngele accused the municipality of neglecting the needs of local communities.
“We are taken for granted by the GTM, for years we struggled without basic needs like water and roads while bigwigs enjoy a lavish life with our money,” said Mmola.
He added that he was shocked that after more than a decade of democracy the communities still lacked water, clinics, hospitals, roads and electricity.”Why don’t the GTM managers use their minds? They cannot bring toilets and pavements to the people while we are in dire need of water and electricity. We travel miles away to the only hospital (Dilokong) which is far away from us and is also understaffed.”
“We are convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that he does not even qualify for the position of municipal manager, we are convinced that he is corrupting our municipality and also failing to account for his misconduct,” said Ngele.
“Mohlala is not the man to take the municipality to greater heights, we need someone who will ensure services are brought to the people. He must be recalled,” he added.
Ngele said he received phone calls from police officers who were allegedly misused by Mohlala to intimidate him and alleged that he wanted to torch the MM’s house.
“I won’t burn his house, all I need is to see him recalled but I do not guarantee his safety,” he said.
The protesters also mentioned that they were aware of hooligans who were allegedly deployed by the GTM to disturb the march.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News learnt that schoolchildren from Alverton and neighbouring villages couldn’t attend classes as roads leading to the village were barricaded with tyres.
The communities’ memorandum of demands was accepted by the municipality’s spokesman, Mr Thabiso Mokoena, who promised to submit the document to the relevant authorities.
The municipality was given a period of seven days to respond to the demands. Apart from water, roads and electricity, other services on the memorandum included installation of street lights, job creation by the municipality, erecting of speed humps and fencing of the graveyards.
Attempts to obtain the GTM’s comment fruitless as the spokesman (Mokoena)’s phone rang unanswered.
