Chaos has erupted at Ngoako Ramatlhodi community hall in Seshego, outside Polokwane, Limpopo, during an engagement session with Polokwane executive mayor John Mpe.
Mpe is meeting with residents over water shortages in the area. Residents of Seshego and Polokwane have been without water for over four months.
Last month, residents in Seshego blockaded the roads with burning tyres during the protest action.
Residents have described the meeting with the executive mayor as a fruitless exercise.
“I don’t believe that this issue is going to be resolved because the mayor is undermining us, he is taking us for granted so he is never going to resolve this matter we don’t want him anymore, we don’t want him to resolve anything, we just don’t want him. We are tired of paying bills because we are paying bills but we don’t have water on the taps, every time you wake up there is no water on the taps,” says one of the residents.
Seshego residents protest over water shortage
Challenges
During the meeting with the Seshego residents at the Ngoako Ramatlhodi community hall, Mpe says they will establish their own water entity to address the challenges in the municipal area.
The Mayor says the new entity will have qualified personnel to deal with the water challenges.
“Polokwane will also be establishing a new entity Polokwane water where we can actually reinforce all the water plants and assets together and also have qualified individuals working on water and sanitation.”
Polokwane and surrounding areas have been experiencing serious water shortages for several months. Some residents at Seshego Township have expressed unhappiness over the municipal billing system.
Residents say they are being billed high water tariffs even though the taps have been running dry for several months. They also say the water tankers supplied by the Polokwane municipality are unreliable. Residents were speaking during the meeting with the executive mayor John Mpe at Seshego.
“We are paying high rates for water and electricity, hence we are receiving nothing, hence we are receiving nothing they are delivering water at 12h00 midnight.”
