Gatvol residents throw poo at council offices

Angry residents of Kgomo Tša Lefisa in Tsimanyane outside Groblersdal threw buckets full of faeces at the Sekhukhune district municipality offices.

The incident took place on Thursday while the municipality’s new executive mayor Maleke Mokganyetji was delivering her first state of the district address at Sehlakwane Sports Ground near Monsterlus in the Elias Motsoaledi local municipality.

The action was widely criticised by many as a barbaric act by those waging a political vendetta against the council’s new political leadership, led by Mokganyetji.

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The credibility and the ability of the security company guarding municipal assets were called into question by the new mayor. “I don’t understand how they passed through the security personnel to do this despicable thing.

But I will get to the bottom of this,” said Mokganyetji, who was still shocked on Saturday. The community marched to the Bareki Mall, which houses the municipal buildings. Clad in their beautiful and expensive suits, officials at the municipal offices had to quickly shut their doors and spray air fresheners because of the terrible stench.

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The Citizen has learnt that within minutes, the smell was followed by unbearable noises from passages after the angry residents barricaded the entrance and emptied the buckets. The action took place from the entrance to the reception and several offices.

The disenchanted community not only painted the building’s floors and walls with faeces but also burst into chanting slogans that made it difficult for everyone to continue with their duties.

Hearing

One resident, who only introduced himself as Bra Joe, said their action was aimed at getting the attention of the municipality to give them a hearing. “This is not a war but a mere warning. All we want is for the municipality to remove kak (faeces) from our toilets,” he said. “Our toilets are full. Some have been full for the past six to eight months.

When we ask the municipality to come and collect the faeces, they send us from pillar to post. “Now we are saying enough is enough. We want them to smell the same stench we smell and see how they react.” Chair for the Sekhukhune District Business Forum, Jabulane Skosana, said the forum had also received the same complaints from the residents several months ago.

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He said while the business forum did not condone what they did, it also believed the plight of the residents needed to be given an ear. “As a forum, we say promises must be kept and money must be allocated and spent where it is worth,” he said.

Since last week, the Sekhukhune municipality has been rocked by allegations of ignoring the residents and being out of touch with communities.