Polokwane shutdown: No need for panic says police and municipality

While residents of Polokwane threaten to shut down the city over poor service delivery, law enforcement and the municipality have called for calm.

Organisers of the shutdown said they were “tired of being abused by the Polokwane municipality”.

“High rates of bills and poor service delivery, including lack of water from last year in Seshego and parts of Polokwane, have made residents angrier than before. As such, there is a planned shutdown to happen on the 3rd of October 2024 [Thursday],” a post on social media read.

WATCH: Protesters speak on their grievances

While some protests were seen on the streets of Polokwane, the South African Police Service (Saps) in the area did not confirm any incidents.

They said officers will be on high alert for disruptions.

“Our members of various disciplines are monitoring the situation. So far there have been no crimes reported,” Colonel Malesela Ledwaba told The Citizen on Thursday morning.

ALSO READ: Race on for new ANC chair in Limpopo

He said police were adopting a strict zero-tolerance policy towards unlawful conduct, threats to human life, and property damage.

“Violence, intimidation, and destruction will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The Saps is committed to taking swift and decisive action against individuals engaging in unlawful behaviour, ensuring that the rights of all citizens are upheld.”

Speaking on eNCA, one of the protesters said that there was a plan to march but people did not show up.

‘Regular business day’ says Polokwane municipality

The Polokwane municipality told The Citizen it had “not received any formal communication or application for a protest from the residents of Seshego, as required by legal procedures.”

Spokesperson Thipa Selala called for residents to continue their day as normal.

“We would like to assure the community that today remains a regular business day, and we encourage residents to continue with their day-to-day activities.

“The municipality remains open and committed to engaging with residents on any issues they may face through appropriate channels,” he said.

Member of the mayoral committee for finance Tshepo Nkwe said the municipality acknowledged service delivery issues in the area.

‘We do acknowledge that there are challenges of water. There are measures in place to make sure that we deal with that problem. We are having a new treatment plant at Biko Park,” he told eNCA.

‘How can pensioners earning old age grants afford that money?’

According to our sister paper, The Polokwane Review, residents met on Monday to discuss the details of the shutdown.

During the meeting, community members agreed to suspend all activity including schools, transport, shops and workplaces.

A demand for the reduction of high water bills was also on their agenda.

“Residents can’t redeem their electricity vouchers because the municipality has also blocked their prepaid meters. People are being told that they have to pay thousands of Rands before the prepaid meters are unblocked.

“How can pensioners earning old age grants afford that money? The municipality must scrap the debt so that everyone can start from zero,” community member Vincent Kunutu said.

NOW READ: Future ‘looks bleak’ for Thabazimbi residents after going under administration