Bergville community vows not to vote until councillor steps down
"We will not vote until the councillor steps down and that is final"
Yesterday (May 8), the community of Bethany in Bergville staged a protest during which they spoke in one voice, saying they will not vote until their councillor steps down.
The voting stations only opened at 4pm due to the protest, but still no member of the community voted. This is due to ongoing allegations that the area councillor misused money that was meant to go to land claim beneficiaries.
“We will not vote until the councillor steps down and that is final. We do not mind when officials come to our community, but we will not listen to them until they tell us what we want to hear,” said community leader Mlungisi Makhathini.
Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane (SAPS KZN media centre) commented that, “On May 8, police attended to illegal protest action in Bethany, Bergville area, where a group of people blocked the roads with burning tyres and stones. More police officers have been deployed in the area and the situation is relatively under control. A total of eight suspects were arrested for public violence. The situation is currently calm.”
Also read: Bergville residents protest over land claim issues
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