The Free State Department of Education has decided to close all schools in Petrusburg, Letsemeng Local Municipality for the week. The protests are due to the lack of service delivery, continued blackouts and lack of water supply from the municipality in their communities, compelling some to take to the streets in hopes of getting urgent intervention. Learners have not been able to attend school, with school infrastructure being vandalized.
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) held a meeting on 08 February 2023, to attempt to calm the unrest and listen to grievances by the community. The Mayor, Bonolo Mocwaledi, attended and called for calm but the acting Municipal Manager, Dineo Tsikang, was not present as requested by the community.
The community has agreed to remain calm after the no-show of the acting MM and again requests that she attend the community meeting. The Mayor has ensured her that her safety is guaranteed if she can avail herself today at 12 pm to listen to community challenges.
The absence of service delivery continued blackouts and lack of water supply affects the future of Letsemeng children. Education is a constitutional right, a basic human right, a strategic priority and the best possible vehicle to empower South Africans and develop our country.
The DA was present at the meeting to ensure that the acting MM will be available in order for the protest to end and for ordinary citizens to be heard. Ours is to ensure that the Mayor puts pressure on the acting MM to address the problems of sewage, and water distribution. We call on the municipality to conduct an investigation into the causes of the protests.