LIMPOPO – Protest action in Musina continued this week as residents blocked roads into the township and the N1 to the Beitbridge Border Post, calling for reliable water supply. The protest action started last Tuesday (May 10) and continued into this week.
Read more: [VIDEO] Musina unrest: Police arrest four for violent protests
The residents have taps at their homes, but say the water supply is intermittent. Some residents, including learners from schools around Musina, barred the roads with stones and bricks while others were burning tyres at intersections. Protesters started barricading roads leading out of the Nancefield location and town.
Some of these obstacles were set alight in an effort to prevent motorists from getting past.
Thousands of commuters were left stranded and many workers did not report for work, while shops in the area were closed for most of the mornings as roads were blocked.
On Monday, the Nancefield Local Municipality office was set alight by protesters.
16/05/2022 – 17.14 – #Musina #Nancefield Local Municipality Office On #Fire @Elma09915430 @ramalokot @IanCameron23
16/05/2022
18.00Public Notice
Please Be indoors Musina Residents Are Still On Strike Is Not Safe To Drive or Walk Around@EversonLuhanga @CliffShiko @RRespawned pic.twitter.com/DG28sp9W88— SA emergency reports (@MARIUSBROODRYK) May 16, 2022
One resident, Sewani Kaunda, said at the time of going to print, the VDM had not responded to their demands. “We are not going to open the roads until the municipality supplies us with constant water supply,” he said.
“We have been patient for a long time. We cannot afford to buy water every day when we have water pipes at our homes. We pay our bills as required by the municipality. Where is this money going?” asked Kaunda. He added that water supply has long been a problem in the area.
Residents who have boreholes at their homes sell 20 litres of water for R5.
He said the community expressed hope that the leadership of the ANC would “attend to these issues before our people die of thirst.”
However, he slammed people he described as the “minority with minor minds” to stop using the community for their own purposes, referring to xenophobic attacks that are taking place elsewhere in the country.
Another resident, Victor Madzivhandila, explained that the community had decided to embark on a protest after realising that the challenges they faced were not being addressed by the municipality. “False promises were made to us, without implementation of the promised water project,” he said.
He said that, because the municipality had failed to deliver services such as water, the municipality has to scrap all service debts, so that there would be no resident who paid for unrendered services. “Everybody is aware of the fact that our communities have not had a constant supply of water for far too long,” he said.
He indicated that the local municipality is the sphere of government designed to address the concerns of local communities. “Service delivery remains the core business of local government, coupled with addressing concerns of residents in order to avoid protests like these,” he said.
Matodzi Ralushai, Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) spokesperson, said the municipality was aware of the water problem and addressed residents at the Skoonplaas stadium on Tuesday (May 17).
The Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu offered support to the VDM in restoring and ensuring the continued provision of water and sanitation services to the residents of the district.
Mchunu convened a virtual meeting on Tuesday with the VDM Mayor, Nenguda Dowelani, to receive an update on challenges of water and sanitation in the District and measures to address them.
Mchunu and his Deputy Ministers will be in Limpopo from May 23 to continue engaging on water and sanitation challenges.
Nine people were arrested over the weekend in connection with the protest. Limpopo police spokesperson Lt Col Malesela Ledwaba confirmed these arrests. “We arrested nine suspects for public violence, arson and malicious damage to property after residents engaged in violent protests.”
Read more: Five more arrested in connection with Musina unrest
The suspects are aged between 20 and 36 and appeared before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Monday (May 16).
During the protest, residents blocked the roads and some shops in Nancefield location and Musina were looted.
The protesters further damaged a police vehicle, as well as a municipal tractor and vehicles of motorists failing to pay them while on the roadside manning illegal tollgates.
