Residents of ward 44 in Rustenburg in North West protest on Friday
Irate residents of Ward 44 in Rustenburg took to the streets on Friday morning and closed the roads with burning tyres and stones, this in protest against the local mayor, chief whip and MMC’s refusal to meet them as members of the community.
Many people didn’t go to work as a result of the blocked roads on Friday and only buses and taxis ferrying learners to school were allowed to pass through the roads.
A letter signed by Council Speaker Lebogang Pule, which Tshwane Talks has seen, indicates that the speaker did inform the Mayor Sheila Mabale-Huma and the Council Chief Whip and MMC about a meeting that was requested by the community and that the three officials were requested to attend it on Saturday.
But according to community leader Professor Kgaladi, the Mayor, MMC and Chief Whip refused to honour the invitation for the meeting, saying they would only be available to speak to the community after elections.
“This is what made the residents angry and embark on this strike action,” said Kgaladi, reiterating that as residents of Ward 44 they won’t vote in the upcoming elections due to lack of service delivery in the area.
For two weeks now the residents of Ward 44 have been pressing home their demand for service delivery in their area and threatening not to vote.
The residents denounced their local Councilor Sbongile Macone and her Ward Committee and made their actions known to the ANC in Rustenburg.
Kgaladi also told Tshwane Talks that the Independent Electoral Commission ( IEC) won’t be allowed to set foot in the area because they as residents had resolved not to vote in Wednesday’s general elections.
At the moment the residents have formed a civic organisation called Rustenburg Ward 44 Community Empowerment Movement which, according to Kgaladi is not a political party but a movement solely concentrating on service delivery issues in the ward.