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The Democratic Alliance in uMngeni condemns any form of violence and destruction of property in the uMngeni Municipality.

Since yesterday, some members of the Mpophomeni community have been barricading roads and destroying infrastructure after refusing to allow officials to inspect electricity meters. Last week, a transformer blew due to overloading as a result of illegal connections. The municipality needs to conduct a house-to-house audit before repairing the transformer.

The municipality will restore electricity to 150 homes once an audit of meters can be conducted. Each transformer costs about R150 000.00. To replace the transformer without an audit would lead to wasteful expenditure.

It is clear that this is no longer about electricity but is politically motivated. The majority of people who were protesting were in ANC T-shirts. This is pure lawlessness driven by a political agenda of people who are still bemoaning the loss of uMngeni and are hell-bent on causing chaos for the new administration.

The people who are suffering the most from this destructive behaviour are mainly, but not only, hard-pressed families in Mpophomeni who have been unable to go to work and thus have lost desperately needed income. They have been treated simply as pawns to be sacrificed in political games.

Issued by Greg Krumbock MP - Mooi-uMngeni Constituency Head