The MEC for Department of Local Government and Housing in Gauteng condemns in the most possible way the use of violence and destruction of property in Zandspruit in the last few days.
A number of people were injured as a result of this violence, including children. All of this could have been avoided and we urge people of Zandspruit to refrain from using violence in order to register their concerns. The barricading of roads caused a lot of inconvenience to road users, including the people of Zandspruit themselves who could not travel to work. This also led to the destruction of roads that were recently tarred for a lot of money.
The MEC says that any dissatisfaction about list processes of nominating councillors in the upcoming local government elections should be sent to respective political parties and not to the streets.
The MEC also calls on police to act swiftly to prevent further destruction of property. Communities must be aware that such acts of violence create good opportunities for criminals to steal and rob people. There were scenes of looting in the shops and this has harmed the local economy considerably. The replacement of stolen goods and the repairs to damaged property will be a costly exercise, something that could have been avoided.
Communities must use community structures, such as ward committees, to address issues that are of great concern to them. Constant engagement between communities and local leadership should be the preferred means of resolving problems. Also communities must take advantage of the imbizos and public participation programmes to air their views. Our department has also assigned community development workers to all the wards and communities are encouraged to approach them on matters concerning the communities.
For information contact:
Motsamai Motlhaolwa
Tel: 011 355 4013
Cell: 079 897 2240
Eddie Mokoena
Tel: 011 355 4266
Cell: 083 602 5652
