Angry residents of Tshwane including senior citizens took their frustration and anger to the capital city streets on Friday by marching peacefully to Tshwane House to hand over a memorandum of grievances to the city of Tshwane MMC of finance Peter Sutton.
Residents are calling for an urgent scrapping of estimated municipality bill.
Residents also demand cancellation of notorious Tshwane Ya Tima campaign, urgent fixing of Rooiwal Water Treatment Plant.
The peaceful march started at Old Marabastad depot ended at Tshwane House.
Senior citizens sing, dance and held placard written “where is our POP and away with estimated bills.”
Residents brought their final demand letters which were planning to give MMC Sutton, but he left before they could give him.
They gave city of Tshwane 7 working days to respond to the memorandum.
The marches were led by LASCA president Tshepo Mahlangu together with LASCA members and were joined by Tshwane Parliament, Soweto Parliament, Intoyethu movement, Mzanzi Civic movement, Sisonke People’s Forum and residents of Tshwane at large.
LASCA president Tshepo Mahlangu told the Tshwane Talks that we got a clear mandate and that the residents of Tshwane demand immediate scrapping of estimated bills and provision of services in a sustainable manner as enshrined in the constitution.
We had been repeatedly complained about fraudulent letters of demands sent to defaulting customers by people masquerading as municipal officials wanting to extort money from residents.
Residents must avoid calls from the debt collectors who are tricking them to make arrangements of erroneous bills.
“We want Tshwane municipality not to disconnect services until our demands are met.
Tshwane House is a crime scene and all of the councilors have failed the residents of Tshwane,” Mahlangu said.
He said revenue collection campaign called #TshwaneYaTima, targeting customers whose municipal bills were in arrears to be stopped immediately in townships.
We want municipality to write off of estimated erroneous debts and we want it to be implemented by the end of November 2023 during the urgent council sitting.
“Residents are being tricked into footing the wrong bills incurred through corruption and maladministration in Tshwane,” he said.
Mahlangu said we urgently demand speaker Ndzwanana to set up an urgent council sitting where all councilors should table a motion of writing off our deliberate arrear estimated bills, especially in Tshwane Township.
Residents of Tshwane are the paymaster, and it is their money that pays the city’s official salary. City employees must receive their overdue salary increase as agreed at Bargaining council and courts of law by end of November 2023 to avoid future strike that affects service delivery.
city of Tshwane MMC of finance Peter Sutton said he is here to receive a memorandum on behalf of the mayor, and they will respond to them in writing within 7 days.
National organizer Soweto Parliament Thabang Moloi said we are here to support Tshwane residents to fight this battle. This is not the first time coming and the last and next time when we come here the number will be triple.
“Residents of Tshwane can’t enjoy their electricity and we call on Tshwane Ya Tima campaign to be canceled,” he said.
“We are here to leave a message and if they don’t hear our message and next time when we come here, we will demonstrate because we are not afraid of the police and when we come back, we will destroy everything I the city,” spokesperson of Intoyethu movement Lungile Mslngizane.
Yes as a tswane resident i agree of scrapping of our bills to start afresh