MOKOPANE – “We are awaiting the arrival of the Department of CoGHsTA to engage with us. We will only engage with them if they withdraw the charges that has been made against our fellow comrades,” Percy Nektse, representative of the worker force, told Bosveld this morning (Wednesday).
Four people were arrested on Tuesday morning for public violence and malicious damage to property. The worker force is strongly opposing the arrest.
The DA wrote a letter to Makoma Makhurupetje, MEC of CoGHTA, on Tuesday stating that they seek her immediate intervention to resolve the ongoing municipal strike. Korny Dekker, DA Councillor of Ward 31, wrote: “More than 300 employees, including those providing essential services such as the provision of household water, maintenance and electricity, downed their tools demanding that their salaries to be benchmarked like in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng Province since last week.”.
The protesters vandalised multiple structures, but the police were nowhere to be found despite the DA’s attempts on numerous occasion by phoning the Police Station Commander and sending messages to come to the rescue with no avail. The DA strongly condemns the use of any violence or the destruction of any property as we believe violent protests will never change the failed ANC- led government or better the poor service delivery.
The DA has been informed that the violent protests are expected to continue today targeting to burn down other councillors’ houses until their demands are addressed.
The DA run municipalities have the best record of service delivery and they will never allow a situation to deteriorate to such an extent that violent protests erupt like in Mogalakwena and Modimolle due to lack of services.The DA urges MEC Makhurupetje to get out of her air-conditioned lavish office and visit the municipality today to address the protesters and to normalise the situation.”
