Umjindi Municipality executive mayor, Cllr Lazaros Mashaba, had to be rescued by Barberton SAPS at Emjindini Community Hall last Wednesday during a consultation meeting about the possible merging of Umjindi and Mbombela.
Mashaba along with chief whip Taylor Nsimbini weathered vulgar words from the ward-seven residents. Police had to be summoned to break up the angry crowd. The presence of the officers appeared to have rattled the crowd even more. Most residents at the consultations which had been conducted in other wards, had no police present.
The meeting was supposed to take place on Sunday March 1 but due to some technicality problems it didn’t materialise. “The ball is in the court of the municipal demarcation board. They are the ones to decide whether to merge Umjindi with Mbombela or not. Ours as officials are to conduct consultations and hear the public views,” said Umjindi speaker Vusi Mkhatshwa.
The possible merger of the two municipalities had created a public uproar among many Umjindi residents who opposed it, saying they didn’t want it to be merged with Mbombela claiming that they had everything which was Umjindi’s. The community was claiming that Umjindi had its gold mines and Mbombela had got nothing to offer.
With only a week ahead on March 2, residents of Emjindini barricaded some roads with burning tyres and rocks in protest against the possible merger. This riot came as a result of a community meeting at the four-way stop near Tzaneen in Emjindini. They resorted to rowdy behaviour.
Public consultation between the local council and residents has been ongoing since February 24.
