Tafelkop goes up in flames

TAFELKOP – Residents of Tafelkop outside Groblersdal embarked on a fierce service delivery protest on Monday, rendering the area ungovernable.

They barricaded the main road with burning tyres, tree branches and trunks as well as stones causing a blockade of the entire area.

This as the angry residents tried to grab attention of the authorities to listen to their demands for improved services.

Collen Matlala, a resident, said the protest sought to show the municipalities, Sekhukhune District and local Elias Motsoaledi that residents were tired of being taken for granted.

Matlala said the authorities were depriving the residents of services deemed essential to the poor and the neglected.

He said they had several meetings with the water and infrastructure development office of the district municipality over VIP toilets, RDP houses and water crisis but nothing had happened in the area to date.

“They make empty promises and ignore our calls and are never available to see us whenever we make appointments. That led to the protests, this is our way to get the relevant authorities to address our grievances,” said Mathala.

Mamokwa Tlaka, another resident, said they handed over a memorandum of demands to the local municipality and needed a response with 14 days.

The angry residents concluded that they expected the authorities to act as they did not want to resort to protests to get attention.

Tlaka further said they believed the office of the local municipality mayor, Julia Mathebe, will act swiftly as they did want to embark more on protests to get services.

Simon Makua, Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality Communications Officer, said the local municipality received the residents’ memorandum of demands and would respond within the stipulated date.