Rustenburg - The Select Committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta), water and sanitation has called for calm in Mangaung Metro following a service delivery protest there.
Committee chairperson China Dodovu said the committee would visit the area to engage with stakeholders.
“While the committee understands the frustrations the community is experiencing due to inadequate service delivery from the municipality, it is of the view that protest and destruction of property undermine efforts to find long-lasting solutions that will ultimately benefit the people of the city,“ Dodovu said.
He said the committee had decided to visit Mangaung on Thursday, to undertake a stakeholder engagement oversight.
“The aim is to discuss the state of the city and possible immediate, medium and long-term solutions to the challenges in the city. During the two-day meeting, the committee will meet the Cogta MEC, as well as treasury, city council leadership, labour, community leaders, and political parties represented in council.
“The oversight follows a disappointing meeting the committee held with the city last week, where an expected report was not tabled. The committee has continuously urged the city to improve service delivery and engagement with residents to close the communication gap that might lead to service delivery protests.”
Eleven people were arrested for public violence during the protest.
Free State police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Covane said members of Mangaung Concerned Community blocked De Villiers Street with vehicles, collected rubbish from bins in the vicinity and littered around the surface leading to Bram Fischer Building housing the Mangaung Metro Municipality management and administration staff.
“The group also used stones and bricks to block the street,” he said.
“Bloemfontein Public Order Police Unit members arrived at the scene and the operational commander warned the group at about 8am to open the street within a given time upon which they refused. The instruction was given to disperse the crowd and effect arrests at about 9am. Stun grenades were used and nine males and two females were arrested.”
A case docket of public violence, contravention of Gatherings Act and Road Traffic Act was opened at Parkweg Police Station.
“The representative of Mangaung Metro Municipality management also reported incidents of malicious damage to property inside Bram Fischer Building. The motor vehicles which were used to block the street were impounded by police.”
The arrested 11 protesters were expected to appear in Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
According to a news report on Bloemfontein-based regional radio station OFM, Mangaung Concerned Community wanted the Mangaung Metro Council to be dissolved.
IOL