Ventersdorp’s unrest, which saw the burning of a truck and the closure of roads, schools and shops led to an ANC delegation descending upon the small town on Sunday to try and resolve the long-standing issues affecting the community.
The N14 mixed housing development project, aimed at alleviating poverty in Ventersdorp, was the burning issue that saw the community going berserk. The N14 development refers to the construction of houses, a shopping centre and other amenities on the N14.
The other issues included the reversal of the merger, councillors stepping down and the scrapping of the 95/5 electricity policy.
The ANC’s provincial coordinator, Keneetswe Mosenogi, the elections head, Saliva Molapisi and other provincial task team deployees led the delegation.
According to Khuduga Dibe, a community leader, there were a number of resolutions that were taken at the meeting.
Regarding the N14 development, he says the councillors were instructed to hold a special council meeting to resolve this issue on Friday.
‘The 95/5 electricity system is to be reversed with immediate effect. All provincial heads of departments will be deployed to Ventersdorp to start resolving the various issues the community has raised. With regard to the merger, the premier has committed to speak directly with the president and the demarcation board.
‘The premier has instructed the mayor to reverse the advertisement of the sites as the Ventersdorp Municipality had already allocated them to people in 2014. The proper process must be followed for their transfer. Scholars and teachers were also requested to go back to school.
‘The potholes around Ventersdorp must be repaired, dumping sites must be cleared and the sewage system unblocked and serviced, starting from tomorrow. Other long-term issues will be resolved while the heads of departments are in Ventersdorp.
‘The traffic department’s services must be reinstated in Ventersdorp and all strategic positions must be brought back to the Ventersdorp municipality. The premier will refer the issue of the councillors’ resignations to the relevant structures. He is not in a position to take the decision alone as the ANC deploys them,’ said Khuduga.
Vuyisile Ngesi, the spokesperson from the premier’s office says Prof. Tebogo Job Mokgoro, the heads of departments and other senior government officials went to Ventersdorp so they could assess the community’s demands and seek to find lasting solutions to the issues raised with both the municipality and the provincial government.
‘The delegation will have an opportunity to interact with stakeholders, including community leaders and representatives, business, organised civic structures and other relevant stakeholders to enable them to prepare a comprehensive report for the premier on the grievances, the prevailing situation and possible lasting solutions.
‘This report will enable the premier to announce appropriate interventions in Ventersdorp, based on a consultation process that would have taken place between the heads of departments and stakeholders from the community.
‘The delegation is expected to report to the premier as soon as they have completed their visits to Ventersdorp,’ he said.
Joe McGluwa, the DA North West premier candidate said in a statement that ‘the weekend visit to the protest-ridden Ventersdorp by the North West premier comes a little too late to clean up the mess that the failing ANC has created over the years. The amalgamation not only let the people of Ventersdorp down, but it has also negatively affected the residents of Tlokwe. The municipality was once prosperous and has now been governed into the ground by the factionalised ANC.
‘When Premier Mokgoro stepped into office, he made all sorts of promises, The DA has reviewed his 100 days in office and we can report that they are the same old empty promises that the failing ANC is so used to making,’ he said.
