Roads leading to Dr Molemela stadium at Rocklands in Bloemfontein have been closed from early on Saturday morning as thousands of people are expected to attend a Presidential Imbizo to be addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Mangaung Metro spokesperson Qondile Khedama has appealed to road users to use alternative roads to avoid congestion around the stadium precinct.
Khedama also urged residents who intend to attend the event to be on time as only 2 000 people will allowed inside the venue due to COVID-19 regulations.
“There are a few streets that will be closed amongst them particularly around the precinct. It will be Tsekeletsa, between Moshoeshoe and Makolokwe and the other one will be Thakalekoala from Moshoeshoe to Makolokwe. Now we are requesting that people interact and cooperate with traffic officials and SAPS. They will be directed with regard to the parking. There is a school that is reserved for parking. We request that people come in time so that there is a smooth running of the programme of the day.”
Presidential Imbizo | Mangaung Municipality placed under national administration
Meanwhile, cabinet has decided to put the Mangaung municipality under national administration after a series of governance failures and financial mismanagement.
The Mangaung municipality is one of the country’s eight metros that has failed on multiple fronts. It was placed under the provincial administration in 2019 after failing to implement a financial recovery plan from the previous year. But the situation worsened forcing the national to take charge of its administration.
Residents say service delivery is almost non-existent with intermittent water cuts, roads in a state of disrepair and refusal taking weeks if not months.
President Ramaphosa is worried and vows to turn things around. Several Ministers will be on the ground this morning as a build up to the president’s visit.
In March Mpumalanga hosted its Provincial Imbizo
Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane issued a stern warning to criminals and foreign nationals, who commit crimes at Elukwatini near Manzana, in Mpumalanga. Mtshweni-Tsipane was addressing the community during a provincial Crime Imbizo in the area.
The provincial government says the increase of criminal activities in the area has necessitated engagement with the communities through the Crime Prevention Imbizo. Residents of Elukwatini and surrounding areas, came in numbers to interact with government leaders on crime prevention strategies.
Some residents complained about the poor road infrastructure, which makes it difficult for the police to respond quickly to crime scenes
Additional reporting by Ntebo Mokobo.
