‘We want answers over poor service’
Residents of Sinthumule and Kutama, joined by the Soutpansberg farming community and local pastor forums, on Monday protested against the lack of service delivery in the region.
LIMPOPO – The group gathered at the Makhado showgrounds, from where they marched through Louis Trichardt to the Makhado Municipality where they handed over a memorandum with demands.
Due to the march, the town was relatively quiet, with commuters unable to travel to work.
Protesters barricaded the D959 and D3715 roads leading into town and major bus companies did not operate.
Shops in the area were closed for most of the morning. The protesters were blocking off roads at the Madombidzha crossing and used stones to prevent motorists from getting past.
The shutdown was organised by the Zoutpansberg Community Development Forum (ZCDF).
Their list of demands was handed over to Makhado Acting Mayor, Thinawanga Mbedzi. The marchers carried placards calling on government to, among others, repair dilapidated and dangerous roads in the region.
“As residents we demand the stabilisation of the water supply. Water is a source of life and a basic right. Residents’ main concern is about a lack of delivery of basic services.
“Also, we have had a number of fatalities on the D959-road that we have been complaining about for quite some time now and what makes this situation worse, is that an entire family had recently been killed. How many people should actually die before this road is fixed?” said the Chairperson of the ZCDF, Patrick Sikhutshi.
Sikhutshi said that they believed that their demands should be addressed in order to avoid protest marches.
“We need answers in black and white within 14 days. If you fail to commit yourself, you will face the full might of residents,” he threatened.
Mbedzi accepted and signed the memorandum of demands. She promised that the municipality would attend to it and provide a response within the stipulated 14 days.
Four people, three from one family, were killed and two are still in a critical condition after a head-on collision between two vehicles on the D959-road close to Madombidzha.
