More than 500 disgruntle members of LASCA join by different political parties march to the Tshwane House to deliver a memorandum of grievances to the city of Tshwane officials on Wednesday.
The march started at the Marabastad bus depot before proceeding to Tshwane House.
The march was organised by LASCA and actively supported by parties like the PAC, BOSA, ELF, AZAPO, NFP, ATM, Soweto parliament, MK and Xiluva.
MMC for Human Settlements Ofentse Madzebatela accepted the marchers’ memorandum and promised to respond.
“We are here to support community frustrations about the fact that the City of Tshwane Metro Municipality is a multibillion rand crime scene that thrives on illegality and corruption while not delivering services to residents of black townships.
What the DA and ActionSA administration is doing is evil. And this injustice must stop.
This is no longer a time of apartheid.
Why should black people be treated like sub-standard citizens? “Asked Xiluba Party president Bongani Baloyi in an interview with Tshwane Talks outside Tshwane House on Wednesday this week.
Baloyi and his party members were among residents and political parties who marched in solidarity with the Laudium Atgeridgeville Saulsville Civic Association (LASCA) to deliver a memorandum to the City of Tshwane.
Speaking to Tshwane Talks LASCA President Tshepo Mahlangu, dressed in military attire said the purpose of the march was to deliver grievances of the residents of Tshwane to Mayor Cilliers Brink, who he described as being arrogant and cruel.
Mahlangu said his organisation won’t get tired of presenting memorandums to Mayor Cilliers Brink until he ultimately came out personally receive their memorandum.
“The problem in the City of Tshwane is arrogance and maladministration.
Our theme for this march is municipality for the people by the people.
This is our municipality.
Brink and his colleagues must know that they are mere servants of the people and must learn to serve the people,” fumed Mahlangu.
One resident who was attending the march complained about the faulty billing system crisis and the fact that the City of Tshwane uses consultants to deal with the billing system.
“The City of Tshwane has outsourced everything.
This means failure to run the City by the mayor.
Auditor General Tsakani Maluleka described the use of consultants as wasteful expenditure yet the City of Tshwane continues to use them,” he said.
In his closing remarks to the marchers, Mahlangu lamented the fact that R10 billion rand was apparently stolen in the City of Tshwane Municipality yet no one has been arrested in this regard.
He said this is in contrast to a situation where an ordinary resident would be threatened by the municipality for owing as little as R50 rand.
Commanders the municipality wants to take me to the high court.
They say I am preventing meter readers from doing their work in the townships of Tshwane,” roared Mahlangu, much to the appreciation of the crowd.
Mahlangu blamed the crowd for voting for wrong people who do not care about them.
“At the moment municipal officials are discussing the possible sale of Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria West power station, Rooiwaal power station, Pretoria Showgrounds and Pretoria Market.
The city is going on auction.
You as residents of Tshwane no longer have a metro,” lamented Mahlangu.
MMC for Human Settlements Ofentse Madzebatela accepted the marchers’ memorandum on behalf of the City of Tshwane Metro and emphasised the following:
The previous tone of saying the people must not pay must change to that of saying the people must pay.
Failure to pay for services will collapse the Metro and we poor black people are the ones who will suffer the most should that happen.