The Bulletin Newspaper

Page 1

Issue 185 - FREE

20 JULY

2018

Community News. Original - accurate - first

017 631 1903 / 017 631 1845 • admin@thebulletin.co.za • 1 Kiewiet Street, Secunda (Lake Umuzi)

Joe Slovo Street, Secunda, was closed down on Wednesday afternoon. A shooting incident the previous night (10 July) was investigated as the police collected cartridge casings in the street. 9mm casings were found. Police used sniffer dogs to comb the area.

New strikes beckoning The ANC squabbles are threatening to escalate again. eMzinoni councillors are unhappy and are threatening with protest actions similar to those of eMbalenhle last month. James Masango MPL and DA Spokesperson on CoGTA (The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs) said in a statement on Friday 13 July that Mpumalanga MEC for CoGTA, Speedy Mashilo, must speedily act to prevent another disastrous and violent protest in Govan Mbeki which has been allegedly planned by disgruntled ANC ward councillors from eMzinoni Township. According to information given to the Democratic Alliance (DA), ANC ward councillors from eMzinoni Township near Bethal in Govan Mbeki municipality (GMM), are planning to engage in a protest against the municipality and Mpumalanga government in demand

of the same deal that was struck with councillors from the eMbalenhle informal settlement near Secunda. Last month, nine disgruntled ANC ward councillors from eMbalenhle led a violent service delivery protest on the streets of Secunda calling for the municipality to fix the sewage network in the township and to hand back electricity distribution to Eskom. They also demanded that the municipality is placed under section 139 of the constitution because of corruption, maladministration, mismanagement of funds, and fraud. This forced Premier Refilwe Mtshweni and MEC Mashilo to intervene. They relented and made available over R53 million to fix the sewage network in eMbalenhle. They also promised that Eskom will take over the distribution of electricity. The Premier also fired the acting municipal manager. In response to the above, ANC ward

councillors from eMzinoni boycotted two consecutive council sittings on Wednesday last week and this Monday because they also want their service delivery problems to be addressed like in eMbalenhle. They claim that eMzinoni also has a sewage network problem, lack of housing, and high levels of unemployment. They are demanding that their problems must be solved immediately or they will also take their problems to the streets like they did in eMbalenhle. “The DA calls on MEC Mashilo and the Premier to urgently intervene before we see another violent protest in Govan Mbeki,” Said James, “What has become clear is that the ANC in Mpumalanga has no interest in service delivery, their interests are looting and lying to the people; this is a legacy left behind by David Mabuza.” The provincial government set a

precedent which cannot be escaped, and it makes sense that eMzinoni’s problems must also be solved like eMbalenhle as both townships are in the same municipality. It is time the people of this province made plans for a life that excludes the ANC as this party’s continuous corruption, maladministration of municipalities, and looting make it impossible for proper service delivery to be implemented. “Our people deserve change that puts the people first and delivers quality service. This is a government that the DA will bring like we currently do in all the municipalities that we govern.” Said, James. The Bulletin covered the protests in Govan Mbeki extensively and videos can be viewed on our Facebook page. Please follow the Bulletin on firsthand information should the situation escalate.


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