By REGINALD KANYANE
The residents of Blydeville, near Lichtenburg in North West, embarked on basic service delivery protests on Thursday (19 January 2023). According to one of the residents, Thabiso Molale (42), they continue to live in squalor, while the municipality fails to deliver basic services such as clean and drinkable water.
“It has been over two years since we experience a lack of water provision. I do not want to talk about other basic services like electricity, accessible roads, refuse collection, and sewage disposal.
“We have been complaining as residents over the years, but nothing is happening. Also, our youths continue to be affected by socio-economic challenges such as drug and alcohol abuse, high rate of unemployment including teenage pregnancy, while our government turns a blind eye,” Molale said.
Another resident, Ben Entshang shared the same sentiments. Entshang said they are sick and tired because of their living conditions.
“We have elderly people who stay alone here and their safety is compromised. There is no provision for clean and drinkable water including load-shedding.
“People are fed-up because of empty promises. So, we decided to take our grievances to the streets because this is the only language our government understands. We cannot even use toilets because there is no water to flush feaces,” he said.
According to Entshang, they are now forced to go to the nearest bushes to relieve themselves or go to the nearest petrol stations to use the toilets there.
However, the executive mayor of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, Khumalo Molefe squashed allegations that the residents have embarked on protests because of the lack of provision of water.
Molefe said the protests in Ditsobotla are not water-related.
“We have not received any complaints about the lack of water in Blydeville. Apparently, the protests in the area emanate from the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the Afri-Sam and the Ditsobotla Local Municipality signed regarding community projects.
“It is alleged that the Afri-Sam has not fulfilled its promises to hire locals. Instead, the company allegedly continues to appoint people from outside, hence protests,” he said.
Molefe said, they condemn the torching of trucks and barricading of roads because that alone is a violation of constitutional rights. He calls on law enforcement agencies to harshly deal with perpetrators because no one has any right to prohibit anyone to go anywhere in South Africa.
Meanwhile, the North West police spokesperson, Capt Aafje Botma said no one has been arrested, but the police will continue to monitor the situation.
The Guardian 