Block C residents continue “silent” protest action over water issues
Unhappiness over water delivery drove residents of Block C to block roads. They plan to continue until the mayor has addressed their concerns.
BLOCK C – Community members are determined to keep up their “silent” protest action over water issues until the mayor meets with them.
The residents blockaded the road to the local water plant, preventing vehicles from transporting water. The protest action reportedly started on August 31.
On Monday they stated that if the Nkomazi Local Municipality mayor, Johan Mkhatshwa, does not visit them within seven days, their strike will turn violent.
They want to personally speak to him as they felt previous meetings and engagements with government officials did not yield positive results.
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According a community member, Jobe Butane Hlatshwayo, the community is tired of attending the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) meetings and submitting the same water and road development issues every year.
“We are highly disappointed in the leadership of the ANC which keeps dismally failing us as a community. We have been patient enough to engage with the relevant leadership in our ward but nothing has been done,” Hlatshwayo said.
They shut down the water plant last year to gain the municipality’s attention and, despite visits by government officials, the water problems have not been resolved.
The community handed in a memorandum of demands to the municipality which included the reinstallation of water pumps and tanks supplying parts of the community and that old pipelines be reopened in areas where new water pipes have not been installed.
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They also want a community hall, which they state was budgeted for in the 2015/16 financial year, and that pavements and bus shelters are installed to aid people waiting at the bus stops, especially during the rain season.
They demanded that the water-plant supervisor be removed as they believe he is responsible for their water problems.
Upon enquiry, municipal spokesman Cyril Ripinga confirmed that the memorandum was submitted. He stated that the mayor was unable to attend to the matter immediately as he was busy with matters in other villages.
“During the course of this week, the mayor will go and address them. People must stop blocking the roads, because as a result it affected the vehicles in the community. We know about the water crisis. We believe the protest organisers have hidden agendas, such as getting tenders in the municipality by force,” he stated.
