Residents of Nkomazi in Mpumalanga shut down the offices of the embattled local municipality over a lack of service delivery, demanding clean drinking water, electricity, and roads, among other things.
Municipal workers have not returned to the offices since they were hounded out on Monday.
Residents have expressed major concerns about water, electricity, and road infrastructure. They closed the municipal offices due to a perceived lack of service delivery.
The residents also claim that this municipality does not resolve any of their issues.
Since a new councillor was sworn in after the November 2021 local government election- there has not been stability in that municipality.
Municipal spokesperson Cyril Repinga says they have not received any memorandum of grievances from the residents.
Repinga says, “I can confirm our offices have been closed by community members, we do not know the reason for the closure. Our staff were forcefully removed, this affects service delivery.”
The African National Congress (ANC) in the province expelled the Executive Mayor Johan Mkhatshwa for allegedly defying the party after the November Local Government Elections.
Mkhatshwa, who is still in office, took the party to court. Newly appointed Cogta MEC Mandla Ndlovu is confident the service delivery challenges in Nkomazi will be addressed.
Ndlovu says, “We are going to pay special attention, we will go to Nkomazi and meet with all councillors and deal with the issues in Nkomazi.”
It remains to be seen if the provincial government’s intervention will yield any positive results.
In 2020 Nkomazi youth shut down the municipality, protesting against corruption, nepotism, and maladministration at the municipality:
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