Total-shutdown staged as Moteti community demand services
Moteti
Angry residents of Moteti Village outside Groblersdal have on Monday 23 October shut-down all access roads in a protest against water shortages and demarcation issues affecting the village in Ward 17.
The demonstration started around 4am by scores of residents leaded by Moteti Concerned Community Forum (MCCF), barricading roads with burning tyres and disrupting schools and local businesses.
The community was demanding Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM) to come and address them about water crisis issues which they say has hit the area from the dawn of democracy.
They were also calling for Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality (EMLM) to come and clarify demarcation of ward 7 which divided the village during the 2019 local government election.
Police had to be deployed at various points to monitor the situation and to prevent the demonstrators from becoming violent.
Around 9am, the police had to use rubber bullets to disperse a crowd that blockaded the R573 Road.
The same morning, a meeting was convened at Ditshego Tribal Office, which SDM MMC for Infrastructure and Water Services, Bella Kupa attended.
During the meeting, residents handed-over their memorandum of demands to Kupa which were directed to SDM Executive Mayor Cllr Maleke Mokganyetji. The community gave the district municipality seven working days to respond to their concerns.
Booker Makofane, MCCF Chairperson, said they staged a shutdown because they are tired of empty promises.
“It has been many years now since we started complaining with water shortages in our village. We pleaded with the district municipality to come and address our water issues and we are given a cold shoulder,” he said.
According to Makofane, the Moteti communities are languishing in drought since the end of the apartheid era in 1994.
“Water is one of our basic needs. People of Moteti and the nearest villages continue to suffer under Sekhukhune District Municipality where leaders are selling water and also intimidate those who expose them,” he said.
Makofane indicated that it is concerning because water pipes are passing through Moteti Village to neighbouring Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality without any provision to Moteti community.
“We demand that Sekhukhune District Municipality drill water boreholes to all Moteti sections in order to eradicate this water plight,” he said.
Furthermore, Makofane said they have noted that EMLM Ward 1 and Ward 2 have been divided Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) without informing proper consultations to the voters.
“The demarcation of ward 2 and ward 7 compromises job opportunities for our people residing in Moteti. For instance, people of Moteti have to spend money traveling to Dennilton in Ward 7 when needing job opportunities. We demand Moteti to fall under one ward. Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality and IEC must come and explain why they divide Moteti Village between ward 2 and ward 7. They must come and explain to the people of Moteti why they are being punished in such a horrible manner,” he said.
Makofane indicated that residents have noted that internal roads are maintained and re-gravelled only when there is funerals.
“We demand that road maintenance programmes be designed in conjunctional with the will of the residents of Moteti. We demand that the Lacoste Seopa Street which is heading to the local cemetery be paved,” he said.
Makofane said residents will consider returning to the streets if their concerns are not addressed within seven working day period.
