protests
5 September 2007
Gauteng Local Government MEC, Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu has condemned criminal
elements behind the recent service delivery protest which left one person dead,
two photographers injured and the house of a councillor burnt down in Protea
Glen, Soweto on Monday.
Mahlangu said it has been proven that most of these so-called service
delivery protests had nothing to do with service delivery but more to do with
individuals and groups pursuing their own agenda and thus being criminally
motivated.
"We have been constantly saying that rights go hand-in-hand with
responsibilities. The right to protest is enshrined in our constitution, but it
should not be abused by those who want to hold the government at ransom."
"As much as we acknowledge that there are challenges facing local
government, we have plans to address the service delivery backlog. However, we
now have a situation whereby opportunistic organisations are fomenting
violence. It is sad that people who have a hidden agenda are using our people
to rebel against the government," Mahlangu said.
The MEC said the recent trend of protests was orchestrated by groupings
which moved from one area to another and play with the emotions of the
poor.
"People in that area (Protea South), are fully aware that the area is
dolomitic and that there are plans to relocate them from the area by the City
of Johannesburg. They are playing with people's emotions and that cannot be
allowed to go on unabated.
We have information about these groupings and we are working with law
enforcement agencies to ensure that those behind these protests face the might
of the law. Some of these groupings are led by a disgruntled councillor who is
known in communities to sow violence.
How can they justify embarking on illegal protests, waking up as early as
3am barricading roads so that people can't go to work? This is criminal and I
want to condemn such actions in the strongest terms.
In some instances they put children in the forefront of their protests to
ensure that when chaos breaks those children are caught in the cross fire,"
Mahlangu said.
Enquiries:
Themba Sepotokele
Tel: 011 355 5111
Cell: 082 490 9869
Issued by: Department of Local Government, Gauteng Provincial
Government
5 September 2007
Source: SAPA
