SALGA condemns the burning and destruction of Councillors’ homes in North West Province

Posted: 19 September 2019

The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) strongly condemns the torching and the destruction of houses belonging to City of Matlosana councilors during the violent protests in Khuma township near Stilfontein on Tuesday.

The SALGA Delegation will join the Provincial Government visit to the township today to assess the damage and listen to the protesters concerns in order to find a solution and call for calm. Further call for the respective municipality to be responsive and accelerate service delivery as expected by the concerned community.

In the same breath, SALGA will activate its support in the North West province to ensure that none of the councillors who lost their homes and valuables through these regrettable acts of violence do not become destitute by providing them with the necessary support as they interact with the South African Special Risk Insurance Agency in processing their insurance claims.

While residents have claimed that they have submitted demands to the municipality before taking it to the streets, the violence can never be justified in a democratic country where there are due processes to be followed. Often communities make demands and register grievances that are beyond the jurisdiction on Municipal Councils. By virtue of Local Government being the closest sphere to the communities, this makes Local Government Leaders vulnerable to unjustified scrutiny and attacks. There is a need to educate communities about the different roles played by different spheres of governments and to urge communities to refrain from using violence to express their frustrations.

SALGA condemns this behaviour with the contempt it deserves and further calls for the law enforcement authorities to move swiftly and apprehend those behind the violence and destruction of councilors’ properties. There is no space for violence in our Constitutional order.

photo credit: News24