MKHUHLU – What was supposed to be an outreach programme by the public protector’s office turned into a bitter confrontation between residents in Belfast, Induna Trust and the community development forum (CDF).

Delegates from the Mpumalanga office, Ms Phindile Mavuso and
Mr Collin Shongwe, were ordered by angry residents to stop the meeting.

The aim of the programme was to teach the community about the mandate of the Public Protector’s office but the community said that they were not interested because not much had happened since the previous meeting.

The office had visited the village last year to teach residents about its function in communities. “We do not want you to repeat the same thing you said last time. We demand solutions to the complaints we raised and were promised would be attended to,” said member of the community forum, Mr Raymond Khoza. They said that they were not happy with the CDF, which has been in leadership for the past 17 years.

They also complained about the unfair appointment of outsiders for community projects and lack of water.
“We support the ANC and we know that there is nothing wrong with the party, but if people have to be in leadership for years, it becomes a problem,” said Khoza who added that the residents wanted the CDF, councillors and Induna Trust to be changed.
They were still angry about an illegal eviction in 1997 where local farmers’ fields were destroyed.
They explained that they were still waiting to be compensated as the land was now used as a tourist attraction.
“That land generates a huge amount of money every month and we don’t know where that money goes to and we demand explanations from our councillors and every one in leadership,” said Mr Ernest Mboweni of the community forum.
The councillor, Mr Silas Bolonga did not want to comment on the claims that some of the resources meant to benefit the community were sold to them.

“We are actually here to listen to the people from the Public Protector’s office and not to accuse each other,” he said.

The office’s representatives promised to arrange for an investigator to visit the village in a bid to get their problems attended to.