Barkley West residents go on a rampage for service delivery

Barkley West residents outside Kimberley in the Northern Cape took to the streets on Wednesday morning blockading a road leading into town with rocks and burning tyres.

The community members are frustrated over lack of service delivery in the Dikgatlong Municipality.

They are accusing the municipality of financial mismanagement. Protesting residents are demanding the removal of the municipality’s Chief Financial Officer.

They say the municipality has been mismanaging funds and the community is paying the price by not getting services. The community members say there is a complete lack of service delivery in the Dikgatlong municipality.

Community spokesperson, Bentley Bezuindenhout says community members are suffering under this municipality.

“How can you ask or demand an amount of R2 700 from an indigent person whereby this person doesn’t have that type of money and when the people go to the municipality they’re arrogant and not assisting even though the elderly people are suffering.

“We have also people who have been staying in shacks for years and they demanded basic services and this municipality doesn’t have a plan regarding this issue and the people’s lives are in danger. We’ve also a school that will be closed down because the sewage is running down there,” Bezuindenhout explained.

Meanwhile Dikgatlong Municipality Mayor, Dimakatso Mbizeni has admitted that, the municipality is facing severe financial challenges and it is currently struggling to pay its debt to Eskom.

“We as the municipality, we’re open about our challenges. We owe Sedibeng a lot of money and we owe Eskom R66 million, so we did pay Eskom R1.8 million as we speak now, so our community they bring new things if we try to resolve this one, they will bring new issues.”

The municipality says there are plans in place to bring new projects that will boost its finances. It says once that is achieved, it will be able to adequately deliver services to the community.