The go-slow at the Mahikeng Local Municipality in North West has entered its second month. SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) affiliated workers downed tools demanding the dismissal of the Municipality’s top structures for unlawfully investing R83 million in municipal funds in VBS.
As the workers’ shut down enters its second month, residents are the hopeless victims.
“The municipality is not doing anything; nothing at all you can see the town is dirty,” says one frustrated resident.
“This is the third week I’m coming here to renew my driver’s license. And all I get is that they are still closed because of the strike. They say we can go to Lichtenburg or Zeerust. But how do we get there? We have no money and no jobs to afford buying petrol to go to Zeerust,“ says a resident, Sharp Motshwari.
The municipality has taken efforts to counter its service delivery short falls.
“What I must indicate is that it has affected service delivery, especially refuse but we had some means during the week to try and clean up the town as we engage some people to clean up the town,” says Acting Municipal Manager, Mooketsi Molamu.
Workers have vowed to continue the go slow until their demands are met.
“Workers demand that they executive mayor must go, she must resign or be withdrawn or council vote against her to go. Workers demand that they must be given protective clothing. Workers demand that the director of planning and development must be suspended,” says Samwu Chairperson, Joseph Qelisile.
The municipality says it will continue to search for an amicable solution.
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