Two residents of Westenburg, Polokwane, were arrested for theft of municipal property on Friday morning (May 29) and later released on bail.

Polokwane Review reports this followed after the municipality opened a case in which the two are accused of taking asphalt from a municipal truck and using it to patch potholes without permission.

The community has been patching potholes in recent days and told Polokwane Review they used resources they had sourced themselves after the municipality reportedly consistently ignored requests for the service.

Municipal spokesperson Thipa Selala said the asphalt intended for urgent pothole repairs was taken from a municipal truck while routine maintenance work was underway in the area.

Community disputes municipality’s version

However, Westenburg resident Martha Holland told Review that municipal workers only arrived after seeing residents carrying out repairs themselves.

Selala said such conduct not only undermines infrastructure maintenance efforts but also directly affects communities that rely on timely road repairs.

“We strongly condemn any interference with municipal operations and the misappropriation of public resources, particularly those earmarked for essential service delivery,” the municipality said in a statement.

The municipality confirmed it will continue to co-operate fully with the relevant authorities as the investigation unfolds.