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ActionSA has noted, with disbelief, a statement issued by ANC Peter Mokaba Regional Secretary, Eugene Masete, with regard to a planned shutdown by Seshego residents planned for today, 26 October 2022. 

In the statement, which represents an unprovoked attack on the integrity of ActionSA, he alleges that our party is responsible for the planned Seshego shutdown. What is astonishing is the fact that over the past few weeks, the people of Seshego, through their various community organisations, have been protesting about the failure of the Polokwane Municipality to supply Seshego and the entire city with water.

ActionSA rejects, with contempt, these unsubstantiated allegations by Masete. It is common cause that the corrupt and incompetent Polokwane Municipality has, for a very long time, failed the residents of the city leading to community structures holding early morning protests on a daily basis until the decision for a shutdown.

Masete and his corrupt municipality are aware of the names of community structures that have been leading these popular people’s protests but chose to blame it on our party. ActionSA is not in the business of shutdowns and has nothing to do with the Seshego popular uprising. We nevertheless empathize with the plight of our people who are desperate for services.

Everyone knows that the cause of this shutdown is an abject failure of the municipality to provide services to the residents that continue to pay for their services even when none are provided by the hapless municipality. Frankly, this shutdown is a nothing else but the result of ANC factions fighting for tenders and power in the Peter Mokaba region. 

I, personally, forwarded to Masete evidence of videos and audios of community leaders exhorting the community to shut down the township. Despite this evidence, identifying ANC-aligned personalities calling upon the residents to stay away from work and bring the township to a standstill, Masete chooses to attack ActionSA.

Although ActionSA has nothing to do with organising and leading this shutdown, I call upon all ActionSA forces in Seshego to join the people in this community outrage against an incompetent, insensitive, inhumane and corrupt municipality that continues to abuse municipal resources to enrich its tenderpreneurs. 

ActionSA will not apologise for making common cause with our people who are at the receiving end of abuse by these thugs masquerading as community leaders in the Polokwane Municipality.

Finally, ActionSA demands a retraction of these wild and unfounded allegations within the next 24 hours.

We reserve all of our legal rights. 

Issued by ActionSA Limpopo Chairperson Sello Lediga