Schooling has ground to a halt in the North West’s Lehurutshe region where angry parents have prevented learners from going to classes as part of the residents’ protest for the delivery of basic services.
The disgruntled community of the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality accused the provincial government of making empty promises and is now using the children in a bid to force the government’s hand.
Community leader Lerumo Ditlhage is accusing the government officials of deliberately depriving the area of water.
“In the previous government of Bophuthatswana, the water plant in this area was well-serviced to provide us with water. But the leaders of the current government have made sure that they close the water pipes, just so they can give their friends tenders of water tinkering.
“This act of corruption forces us to buy water from the very same people who should be ensuring that we have water.
“You need to remember that there is a high rate of unemployment in this area. So how are we going to be able to pay R450 for water, while we don’t even have R450 to put food on the table?” he asked.
Ditlhage said the government has failed to implement promises made during the meeting with Premier Bushy Maape and his provincial Executive Council
“The government had promised to dispatch a task team to respond to service delivery challenges in this area. But so far we have not seen anything.
“We have not had water for months. The only response we ever get is that things take time as this is a process that needs to be followed. We are still waiting for the government to give us feedback on what is causing the delay for us to get the provision of water,” said Ditlhage.
The North West Department of Education has condemned the incident and appealed to the communities to refrain from disrupting schools when they want to raise service delivery issues.
While the majority of residents appear to be part of the protest, some, like Oupa Sekgetlheng, raised concerns about the level of disruption for schooling and health services.
“I know that water is a basic need for us. Therefore the community has every right to take action to ensure that there is a provision of water. But while we are asking for water, areas offering essential services like the local clinic, hospitals and schools should not be affected when raising concerns about service delivery.
“I don’t think it’s a wise move for roads to be barricaded with rubble, stones, and burning tyres. Teachers were told to go away while they were preparing to welcome learners at schools yesterday.
