Residents in this small farming town this week took to the street to protests over electricity tariff hikes and demanded that the Municipal Mayor Kgotso Khumalo attend to their concerns and address them. 

Police spokesperson, Adéle Myburgh, confirms that although the protest was generally peaceful, traffic on the N4 came to a halt after residents burned tires. Myburgh further confirms that the situation is now calm and the road has been cleared. She adds that no arrests have been made nor a case opened.

This municipality which was disestablished and merged with Tlokwe City Council Local Municipality to establish JB Marks Local Municipality currently owes Eskom and water boards millions. 

It has recently made headlines over alleged rampant corruption and unaccounted millions. Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, ordered the municipality to establish a complaint and resolution mechanism to deal with service delivery complaints during her visit to JB Marks municipality, last week.

Although the municipality has now resolved to reverse the proposed electricity billing system, and register community members who cannot afford it, to see how the municipality can avoid increasing electricity costs, questions are mounting as to whether the municipality will stick to this.

The municipality is yet to respond to OFM News’ enquiry on the matter.

OFM News