Fed-up residents in Rustenburg are to take to the streets in the town on Friday to protest against what they describe as service delivery that ‘has slumped to a disgracefully low level’.
IRR analysts point out that the protest reflects the popular reaction to ‘citizen abuse’ highlighted in the institute’s memorandum to the Presidency last week.
The protesters plan to hand over a memorandum to municipal manager S V Makona at the end of the march.
Organisers said in a statement that ‘(basic) services, such as water and electricity provision are basically non-existent in most parts of Rustenburg’, that crime was ‘increasing rapidly, and most people see no future in Rustenburg due to lack of job opportunities’.
The statement highlighted interruptions in the power supply to various areas across the municipality, noting that residents ‘have been suffering constant electrical blackouts for several months’.
Many of those affected lived on smallholdings and relied on boreholes for their water.
‘The electrical interruptions limit their access to clean water, because the pumps cannot function during the affected times. The interruptions damage electrical appliances and pose a major safety threat as electrical fencing also does not work during these periods.’
The statement highlights other instances of shoddy services or problems not being addressed in the town, including potable water provision; waste collection services; the condition of roads; safety and drugs; street lighting; sewerage infrastructure and maintenance of parks and public spaces.
The organisers said the memorandum would demand, among other things, an action plan for improved electricity provision within 48 hours; a resolution of the strike by municipal workers within 48 hours; the appointment of qualified workers in the electrical and water departments; consultation with the community on monitoring work done to electrical infrastructure and water infrastructure; the restoration of a sustainable water supply within 24 hours; and, within two months, strategic plans by the Rustenburg Local Municipality on how it plans to grow and support local business, maintain and grow jobs, eradicate poverty and improve service delivery.
In its memorandum last week, the IRR warned of the consequences of ordinary South Africans ‘being forced to pay for the counterproductive policies, management failures, corruption, and ineptitude of the government in what could really now begin to be described as a phenomenon of “citizen abuse” by the state’.
The IRR has urged South Africans to encourage resistance against abuse by the state by endorsing its #StopCitizenAbuse campaign.
[Image: Herby Hönigsperger, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2970404]