Angry residents of Matjhabeng Municipality are calling on the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to investigate corruption allegations against convicted executive mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha.
Residents marched on the streets of Thabong for services and employment.
The march takes place a day before Khalipha is due to be sentenced in the Odendaalsrus Magistrate Court on one charge of assault and two charges of criminal wounding.
Services and employment are top of the agenda for the march, as residents say they live in filthy conditions where sewage leaks are commonplace.
The mining town also has high unemployment. Residents say they are left out when it comes to recruitment.
“I joined the march because I say no to nepotism, corruption and no to filthy dirty water. Recently, cases have been opened against some MMCs, specifically LED’s MMC,” said a resident.
Another resident added: “We are here for employment, we want employment.”
“It cannot be that our people, the youth of Matjhabeng, remain unemployed while there are ghost workers in the municipality. We want these issues to be addressed,” a resident explains.
There were allegations that Khalipha had appointed people without following proper procedure.
“What this March has actually informed today is the issue of service delivery and underemployment. There are many problems, as we indicated in the memorandum. But the main issue here is about the mayor who has been found guilty, but the ANC PEC who deployed this mayor are delaying this,” said Mpho Matshai of the Local Business Forum.
They demand that the SIU launch an investigation.
“We organized the March to ensure that we can send their demands to the office of the president, the SIU, to come and investigate all these things that they are complaining about. If there is work here at Matjhabeng, our people will not be hired,” says Shima Mahlatsi, secretary of the Matjhabeng Community Foundation.
Residents have called on the government to create jobs.
Matjhabeng residents demand jobs:
Aphumelele Mdlalane
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