Mokopane prepares for Wednesday shutdown
This afternoon a closed meeting was held at the Mokopane Police station. Two marches have been planned, seemingly in support of, and the other against, the Mogalakwena Mayor, Andrina Matsemela.
MOKOPANE – One group will gather at 07:30 in front of Cashbuild in Nelson Mandela Drive while the other group, calling for Matsemela’s downfall, will start at 08:00 from the Bus rank in Rabe Street.
This afternoon, members of the ANC’s Mogalakwena sub-region drove through town in bakkies and announced via loud speakers that schools and shops do not have to close.
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The group from the South African National Civic Organisation, the Mogalakwena Concerned and Affected Citizens and Mogalakwena Task Team, have circulated letters stating their intention to march as demands made at the 1 and 2 August march,
were not met.
Read more: [WATCH] Around 800 protesters march in Mokopane shutdown protest
The Mokopane Business Chamber said in a media statement that the demands can take a long time to realise while some are not executable at all, or fall outside the scope of the municipality.
The Business Chamber also condemns the recent murders at the taxi rank. In a statement the Chamber said the organisers of the protest action should consider their own safety too as there is a murderer for hire still ‘walking around freely’.
Read more: [WATCH] Hundreds show support as Mogalakwena mayor appears in court for assault
“To submit memoranda, as was done last week via the SAPS to the municipality, is simply a waste of time. No one even bothers to read it. The people who were hurt during last week’s shutdown were the hawkers, business owners, taxi drivers, workers who fall under the “no work no pay” rule, learners who missed two days of school, the sick who could not go for medical care, even families who are dependent on weekly food parcels for their survival as they could not collect it. The only persons who were happy were the municipal workers for a two day paid holiday, the mayor who went into “hiding” for fear of her safety and those bullies who drove around in bakkies intimidating workers and businesses with sjamboks.”
Several schools have indicated that they will reopen on Thursday.
