TZANEEN – VILLAGERS from Ga-Wallie, Khesethwane, Mokhwathi and other surrounding villages in the Bolobedu area went on the rampage against the Greater Tzaneen Municipality demanding electricity recently.
The protest was joined by learners from Khesethwane, Ramabolela and Mpapatla schools, most of whom have never had electricity in their homes.
The villagers said they used candles for light and firewood for cooking. They also blamed the lack of electricity for the large number of snakes in the area.
Mashia Mhlongo (42) said she was bitten by a snake in October last year and again in December. She said in February she was bitten twice.
“Enough is enough, we need electricity now or else go tlankga go sa bola (all hell will break loose),” Mhlongo said.
Mhlongo’s 15-year-old daughter, Makonko, said she was also bitten by a snake while she was removing clothes from the washing line. “It bit me in the neck and then slithered away into the night. If we had electricity, I would have seen it in time and killed it,” she said.
Khesethwana village community leader, Malesela Mafokwane, said another problem was that while they had no electricity, their councillor did. He said the village that the councillor lived in was a new village and they had received water and electricity almost immediately, but Khesethwana village had existed since 1994 and still had no electricity.
ANC regional secretary, Baisekopo Makamo, urged villagers to distance themselves from what he said were opportunistic political parties that used community protests to woo voters to their parties. He said the ANC was the only government that ensured a better life for all irrespective of colour, tribe or religion. “We caution our people to be a little more patient as all human basic needs will reach them.”
Municipal spokesperson, Nevil Ndlala, said the residents’ problem was not new to the municipality. He said the problem was receiving urgent attention and the village would have electricity soon. “We have a list of villages that urgently need electrification this coming financial year and Khesethwane village and the surrounding villages are among them,” he said.
