Angry residents of Matjhabeng municipality are calling for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe corruption allegations levelled against the convicted executive mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha.
Residents marched to the streets of Thabong for service delivery and job opportunities.
The march takes place a day before Khalipha is scheduled to be sentenced in Odendaalsrus Magistrate Court for one count of assault and two counts of crimen injuria.
Service delivery and job opportunities are top on the agenda for the march, as residents say they live in filthy conditions where sewer spillage becomes the order of the day.
The mining town also has a high unemployment rate. Residents say they are sidelined when it comes to recruitment.
“I joined the march because I’m saying no to nepotism, corruption and in saying no to filthy dirty water. Recently, there are cases that have been opened against some of the MMCs, more specifically the MMC of LED,” a resident says.
Another resident adds, “We are here because of jobs, we want employment.”
“It cannot be it that our people, the youth of Matjhabeng remain unemployed whereas there are ghost workers in the municipality. We want those things to be addressed,” a resident explains.
There were allegations that Khalipha had appointed people without following proper procedure.
“What actually informed this March today is the issue of service delivery, lack of job opportunities. There are many issues as we have indicated on the memorandum. But the main issue here is about the mayor who was found guilty but the PEC of the ANC which deployed this mayor, they are delaying this,” says Mpho Matshai from Local Business Forum.
They are demanding that the SIU should initiate an investigation.
“We have organized the March to ensure that we out their demands to the office of the president, the SIU to come and investigate all these matters they complain about. Here at Matjhabeng when there is employment our people are not taken,” says Shima Mahlatsi, Matjhabeng Community Foundation Secretary.
Residents have called on the government to create jobs.
Matjhabeng residents demand jobs:
