eMzinoni – The community blocked roads with stones and burning tyres on August 11.
They demanded that Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) immediately unblock their electricity meters because of their historic service debt.
According to residents, they noticed that their electricity meters were blocked because it did not recharge.
They then enquired at the municipal office in Bethal and were told that they owed the municipality money.
Themba Sithole, one resident, said his statement shows that he owes the municipality R55 000 and when he enquired about it, he was told he must pay at least half of the amount.
“I am unemployed and I am living with my wife and two children. All of us are depending on our children’s grant and the R350 grant I receive,” said Sithole.
“Now, we have to take that little money and give it to the municipality for my electricity account. This means we will starve.
“We have been applying for the indigents programme for nearly three years, but we were not approved. GMM is playing games with us.
“Our mistake was to allow them to install their smart electricity meters in our houses because the problems followed.”
The community marched to the municipal office in Bethal on August 12, where they demanded Mayor Nhlakanipho Zuma to be present and address their concerns.
However, Zuma never showed up, but sent the MMC for Financial Services, Aron Mbokazi, accompanied by the MMC for Technical, Engineering and Energy, Lwandile Ziwele, and the council chief whip, Mapike Mtsweni, to address the protesters.
When Mbokazi tried to speak to the community, the protestors interrupted him.
Mbokazi tried to calm them down and said they came to help the community with their problems.
He said the blocked meters will be unblocked as soon as those affected go to the municipality’s finance department in Bethal.
Mbokazi said those who cannot afford to pay their historical debt to the municipality should apply for the indigent programme.
The protesters demanded that they pay a flat rate for electricity and that the old debt be written off.
They also demanded water for those areas that had been without water for nearly four weeks and also wanted to know the outcome of the investigation on millions of rands that went missing at the municipal office in Bethal last year.
Mbokazi promised to pass their grievances to Zuma, but the community was not satisfied. They said they would continue to protest until Zuma addressed them and not send someone else.
They said Zuma was undermining them and accused him, as the leader of the municipality, of not taking them seriously.
The community continued to protest and closed the roads with stones and burning tyres that evening.
Zuma finally met with the eMzinoni community on August 13 and promised everyone blocked from buying electricity would be unblocked, and be able to buy electricity.
Donald Green, the acting head of communications said Zuma agreed with the eMzinoni residents that the Municipality suspend the blocking of metres until August 31.
Green said the condition is only for Bethal and eMzinoni and during that time, those residents who earn less than R4,500 a month should go to the Municipality offices to register for the indigent while those who has already registered to go check their status.
“We are also appeal to those with queries with their accounts to visit our Bethal Municipal office to be assisted and make payment arrangement,” said Green.
