The MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements in Gauteng, Jacob Mamabolo has urged the community of Bekkersdal not to participate in a planned march in the area.

MEC Mamabolo said that the department had received information that the community of Bekkersdal was going to march on Friday, 6 March 2015.

“This march has nothing to do with service delivery. The two departments I am in charge of launched high impact service delivery projects in the area.

“We understand that the march is led by same people to those who led the violent march in Randfontein and they want to sustain the violence campaign,” said the MEC.

Mamabolo said that the community should not allow itself to be used by rouge leaders who have no interest in developments.

“We recently launched a sewer network programme in the area and the contractor is on site, and such acts of violence might have a negative impact in the implementation of this project,” he said.

Mamabolo said the province was also ready to roll out a pilot toilet project for the informal settlements in the area.

“The project will be launched next week and the toilets will improve the health conditions. The PikitUp cleaning project will also start next week. The delay in both projects happened because the community had asked for some time to sort out the local employment issues,” Mamabolo said.

The MEC said that even if the protest was about the Auditor General's Report, the municipality has no control over this report and out of their hands as this is the work of the Auditor-General and therefore people must exercise patience and wait for finalisation of the report.   

MEC Mamabolo reiterated call by Premier David Makhura that Gauteng government will continue to engage with communities and work with them to find solutions to their problems.

 

Issued by Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs