POLOKWANE – Polokwane Mayor John Mpe told Seshego locals to direct their request to pay flat rates for the service of water to Lepelle Northern Water (LNW).
As it stands, they pay for water and electricity based on consumption.
This follows questionably high water bills according to residents who recently marched in protest to the municipal offices to hand over a memorandum of demands, detailing this dissatisfaction and the cancellation of all water bills.
Read more: Protesters aim to stop economic activity in Polokwane for the day
“They should first speak to LNW to charge us, the municipality a flat rate because then otherwise we would incur the cost to the bulk water supplier. The truth of the matter is for as long as people pay for water based on level of consumption, they will preserve it or use it wisely,” he said.
Those who are from Seshego and Extensions met at SABC Park with other residents from Nirvana, Westenburg, Flora Park, Mankweng and surrounding villages, whose water is supplied by the Polokwane Municipality before moving to the Department of Cooperative Governance, Eskom Limpopo, the Premier’s Office, municipal offices and that of the South African Local Government Association (Salga).
A timeline of seven days had been given by residents on the memorandum of demands which has since lapsed on March 3.
One of the protest conveners and Seshego resident, Hani Mafalo says the local government does not give Seshego residents their money’s worth.
“I was a municipal official for five years and know that Seshego makes up about 76% of revenue generation for the district, meaning they are worth making a plan for a flat rate. Why is it that the municipality is able to do the same for residents in Mankweng and Lebowakgomo? We are in disgust,” he told Bonus.
Mafalo says it is disheartening that the rest of the government institutions which they visited have not responded.
“Only the mayor has responded after nine days from all of the institutions we protested to. We are undermined because they are unable even to say we noted your grievances”.
The protest was among the very few that have been peaceful in recent months.
In October last year, residents blocked off the N1 near Nirvana and police had to disperse protestors with rubber bullets and water tankers in an effort to quell the unrest.
