Protesters block voting station ‘no water, no vote’
Kekana concluded, "I can already see the progress as the municipality has started to better the roads and to deliver water this week"
LIMPOPO – “We are angry, we want water, if our demands are not adhered to, we will not vote.”
These were the angry words of residents of Mountain View Village and Black Rock village outside of Mokopane, after they closed off the N11 last Friday morning with rocks, thorn bushes and water tanks.
The community leader of Mountain View Village, Dan Kekana, told Bosveld: “We are struggling with no water or when we receive water it is dirty and our roads are in a horrible state. It is simple – we are pleading for proper service delivery from the Mogalakwena Municipality.” (Watch the video)
A municipal official listened to the pleas of the residents and within an hour water was delivered to the village. The local police started to clear the N11 and asked the angered residents to disperse as the municipality adhered to their demand.
At around 12:00 the N11 was reopened and the police kept patrolling the area, but on Saturday morning the protesters blocked off the entrance to the voting station in Mountain View and as a result registration for the municipal election did not take place.
Out of the 203 voting stations in Mogalakwena, Mountain View (ward 26) was the only station that did not register any voters this weekend.
Kekana told Bosveld on Tuesday: “The residents are still angry and they said on Friday, ‘no water, no vote,’ and thus no registration took place in Mountain View for the coming election.” Kekana further said: “A mass meeting was held last Sunday and again on Monday where residents voiced their concerns to representatives of the Mogalakwena Municipality. We will attend another mass meeting on Sunday (13 March) hosted by the representatives of the municipality during which they will give us feedback on the situation.”
Kekana concluded, “I can already see the progress as the municipality has started to better the roads and to deliver water this week”.
The Divisional Head of Communications, Malesela Selokela, gave the following comment: “The Municipality has been delivering water to Mountain View, but due to the fact that numerous villages are in need of water it is difficult to deliver water to them on a daily basis as we have to deliver water to all of the affected areas.
“We appeal to the community to refrain from protest action as the municipality is doing their best to address the situation.
“Rather come directly to the municipality and raise your concerns than to take protest action,” he advised residents.
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UPDATE: “We are angry, we want water!” – community leader
