Picture: Tswaing Traffic Department on fire
By REGINALD KANYANE
North West Premier, Prof Tebogo Job Mokgoro has condemned the violent protests that took place in Ottosdal yesterday. It is alleged that community members torched the local traffic department and Tswaing Local Municipality offices during violent protest.
According to information, the old library building in town was also being vandalized by irate protesters.
One of the protesters who refused to be named for fear of reprisal said: “Residents are protesting over a lack of service delivery, which includes inaccessible roads, lack of sports infrastructure, on-going water shortages, and corruption.
“Three weeks ago, we submitted a memorandum to the municipality, but our demands were not addressed. We have not even received any response to the memorandum. Protesters pelted passing-by vehicles with stones and the road was barricaded with burning tyres and stones.”
Smooth-running operations at the Wonderstone and Idwala mines were affected after mineworkers allegedly failed to report for duty today. Schools, clinics and foreign shops are also closed at this stage.”
Mokgoro said, while government notes the right of every citizen to protest, however, they condemn the destruction of public and private property. He said they further call on law enforcement to bring those responsible to book.
“The provincial government is committed to finding lasting solutions to the problems at the municipality such as the failure to pay municipal employees’ salaries last month and the continuous lack of basic service delivery in that municipality.
“An urgent intervention led by the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Human Settlements, Gordon Kegakilwe will report back to me on the progress made in resolving the disputes and problems at the municipality,” he said.
Tswaing Local Municipality is one of the municipalities placed under Section 139 (1)(b) intervention due to maladministration and financial mismanagement amongst other factors.
The Guardian 