Angry Bushbuckridge residents have on Thursday, 20th May marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to handover their memorandum of demands to the Presidency. The community boils over inadequate Bushbuckridge Local Municipality’s (BBR LM) service delivery and a number of unfinished projects in the area. The disgruntled BBR residents have previously taken their grievances to both the office of the Mayor of BBR LM, Milton Morema in December last year and to the Office of Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza in February this year without any positive response from any of the offices.
When over 15 buses that ferried around 1000 Bushbuckridge residents arrived at the Union Buildings south-lawns, the crowd peacefully chanted struggle songs towards the Presidency. South African Police Force officers escorted them to hand-over their memorandum to the Deputy Director General of Communications in the Presidency Vusi Mona. Although prior arrangements were made with the Presidency regarding the march; President Jacob Zuma who was attending the Third Meeting of BEE Advisory Council in Union Buildings was not aware of his guests for the day, which was confirmed by his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
The community wants the Mayor, Municipality Manager Canza Lisa and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs member of executive council (MEC); Norman Mokoena to step down immediately before they resort into violent protests across the municipality. Meanwhile the community also demands that the Mayoral Committee and the Municipal Bid Committee be disbanded and the Municipality be put under administration. It is alleged that the people deployed on these committees are only there to enrich themselves.
Among other unfinished projects that the disgruntled members of community are complaining about are; Morele Bulk water supply, Brooklyn/Maotole water reticulation and Morele reticulation both implemented during the 2000-2005 council. According to one of the march-organizers Delta Mokoena the residents feel that their grievances are being neglected by both the municipality and the provincial government and it is the reason they now seek the intervention of the Presidency. “We submitted our memorandums last year December and February this year to the municipality and Office of the Premier respectively, but we have not yet heard anything from them. That is the reason we have taken the Union Buildings route as we are not taken serious down there.” Mokoena added.
Meanwhile the BBR LM spokesman Matome Malatjie concurred that there are service delivery issues that are of concern and other pending projects such as RDP houses. Malatjie pleaded for the community’s patience; because most of these service areas of concern raised in the memorandum they received in December last year, are not mainly their sole responsibility as a municipality but that of various Provincial and National governments departments. “It is true that there are certain services that are taking too long, but we are directing them to relevant department and engaging with these departments on continuous basis to speed-up progress.” Said Malatjie.
On whether will the mayor or the municipal manager resign Malatjie said he is not aware of any intentions of resignation by either of the two. The mayor Milton Morema said he is not moved by the community’s march to the Union Buildings and he is not going to resign. “I was not deployed by the community, I was deployed to my position by the organization (ANC); so I will only resign when the organization that deployed me tell me to resign.” Concluded Morema.
The Mpumalanga Premier’ spokesperson Mabutho Sithole confirmed the receipt of the BBR community’s memorandum by the Premier’s office, but denied that his office has neglected the complaints raised; although nothing was communicated to the community since the memorandum was received. Sithole said it was unnecessary for the marchers to escalate to Union Buildings in Pretoria in such a short period without affording them an opportunity to look into their demands. It is not clear even to Sithole as to how long will it take the Mpumalanga Provincial government to address the issues raised by Bushbuckridge community.
“We told them (the BBR residents) that they must give us a chance to investigate those things (grievances raised in the memorandum) and now we are surprised that they decided to go to Union Buildings.” Said the Mpumalanga Premier’ spokesman.
One of the concerned residents from Zoeknog village Rebecca Lebjang said: “We are tied of how the municipality is being operated, many things are in disarray. People are there (in the Municipality) not to serve us the public, except for their own enrichment. “Our children’s education is affected badly during rainy seasons because of inaccessibility of roads to schools, after 16 years of democracy we still do not have access to clean water as we drink with animals in the rivers and some of us are being targeted for rape whist fetching water in those rivers and dug wells.” Said the fuming Lebjang.
The residents vow to render the Bushbuckridge municipality ungovernable if the Local, Provincial and National governments do not address their demands within three months time. Over 10 years ago the area was brought to standstill when Bushbuckridge residents demanded to be incorporated into Mpumalanga Province. During this riots access into the area was restricted, properties vandalized and some burnt down, while school calendar was also interrupted.
