On Tuesday night residents of Ventersdorp took to the streets to protest the lack of service delivery in the area and the ANC’s failure to properly consult them regarding issues facing the community.
On the same day, residents of Tlokwe in Ikageng amongst other things marched against the lack of service delivery and also called on Mayor Kgotso Khumalo to resign from his position.
The DA calls on Mayor Khumalo to swiftly address the concerns of residents from both the towns of Tlokwe and Ventersdorp before these protests escalate even further.
During a community meeting on Saturday, residents informed the DA that they pay R20 and only receive a single unit of electricity. Residents claim that 95% of their electricity purchases is used to cover rent arrears.
The municipality informed them that they are overdue on their municipal accounts and yet many of the residents do not receive any kind of services from the municipality.
The Toevlug area has no infrastructure such as roads and street lights, residents do not have taps in their yards, they do not have water meters and refuse is never collected.
Part of the many complaints that Ventersdorp protesters have is that the municipality never consults them on decisions they take regarding their communities.
The municipality steamrolled the merger of Tlokwe and Ventersdorp against their wishes, and just recently approved the renaming of the municipality to JB Marks against an overwhelming majority who voted for the name to remain as Tlokwe.
The DA believes that the money that will go into the renaming of Tlokwe should be redirected to improve the lives of the impoverished community of Ventersdorp.
It is clear that the residents of NW405 Municipality are tired of the ANC’s continuous empty promises and the unilateral decisions they take on behalf of the communities without consulting them.
Government’s imperative should be to uplift the lives of poor communities through meaningful redress and proper service delivery.
