Anger is still brewing among residents of Bekkersdal following empty promises that a task team would be deployed to take over the administration of Westonaria Local Municipality following allegations of nepotism and maladministration.
This was revealed by community leader Thabang Wesi who says residents are fed up with the government dragging its feet in dealing with their outcries.
Initially, residents of the area embarked on a string of protest actions and damaged municipal property to the tune of millions.
They demanded that the Westonaria Local Municipality Executive Mayor Nonkoliso Tundzi together with other councillors step down from their positions and that basic services be rendered in the area.
According to Wesi, the government seems to be displaying arrogance towards residents of the area and their pleas.
“Apart from service delivery, we have called for the Westonaria Local Municipality to be placed under administration a long time ago and we were promised that a task team would be deployed on 1 December. However, to date nothing has been done.
“Instead, they keep giving us tents during the heavy rains and while we appreciate the effort, what we need is adequate housing,” says Wesi.
He adds that owing to this, they will be having a community meeting on 19 December at the Paul Nel Hall to discuss issues of developments or the lack thereof within the troubled township.
“These people do not care about us and we have seen it ourselves.
“We cannot be expected to wait for a response from them for so long,” says Wesi.
Asked on the issue of whether or not residents will take to the streets once again in the near future, Wesi says that a way forward will be discussed during the meeting.
However, he does confirm that residents are angry and tensions are at boiling point – so much so that a police vehicle was vandalised at the Anglican Park in Bekkersdal on 16 December.
