Ventersdorp reaches boiling point

According to a community leader, Khuduga Dibe, they are demanding the reversal of the Potchefstroom-Ventersdorp merger after the mayor and the minister failed to meet their demands. He says they have requested them to provide details on how the merger will be funded, the lack of service delivery in the rural town, unemployment and other issues. ‘We recently requested a written undertaking from the treasury as proof that the merger will be funded, as well as the recommendation by the Municipal Demarcation Board but neither was provided.

‘It is clear that this is just a nightmare at the expense of people’s lives. This merger should be reversed but the mayor and the minister are silent. We will embark on a strike until we have been heard,’ says Dibe.

Victor Boqo, the mayoral spokesperson says it is their democratic right to march. ‘We have already met with them; the mayor sent a delegation to address the community. Cogta has already allocated R13 million to fund the merger.

‘We would also like to state that there is service delivery in Ventersdorp on a daily basis. We have recently received R27 million from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) and will be using some of this to build toilets in the villages of Ventersdorp. The council recently adopted the draft integrated development plan (IDP) of services that will be rolled out to the communities in the next 5 years,’ he said. At the time to print, the spokesperson of the Minister of Cogta has still not responded to the Herald’s media enquiry.