This as the disgruntled residents are set to embark on a peaceful march on Wednesday to hand over a memorandum of demands at the town’s Magistrate’s Court in a bid to deal with allegations of fraud and corruption in that area.

A member of the Community Policing Forum (CPF), Monaheng Khomojong, tells OFM News that residents will stop at nothing to see the fall of the council and the mayor, Thandiwe Reachable, citing what he calls massive corruption.

On Friday OFM News reported the residents accused Reachable of having bribed five community members with thousands of rands in a bid to end the violent protests that have since grappled the area for almost two months now. Khomojong says the schools have been closed for almost seven weeks since following scenes of violence, destruction to property, and burned tyres, leading evidence as one enters the community Ditlhakeng in that area.

“We want to hand another memorandum [to the Koffiefontein magistrate] and the magistrate must also now answer us on the police brutality and the latest bribery [involving the mayor],” says Khomojong.

Khomojong says the provincial government, especially the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), together with the mayor, have neglected the needs of the community and this violates human rights.

He says late last night, on Monday, the office of the African National Congress (ANC) in ward 1 was burned by the angry residents after they allegedly had an altercation with the police.

Khomojong adds that the police wrongly accused a group of people who were singing in the streets of trying to influence other parts of the community to start the protest and this outraged residents and led to the burning of the ANC office.

He further adds that since different firms and companies left the town, the community has been plunged in poverty.

The mayor has further been accused of awarding tenders to relatives, family members and close friends.

Residents say the unemployment among the youth in the area is high and the town is crime-ridden.

About 100 residents who were arrested in the area during these protests will appear in court on 5 December to face charges of public violence.

OFM News