The ANC’s controversial candidate selection process is coming back to haunt the party in the Bohlabela region.
This was evident by the anger and frustration as the people of Dingleydale, Chochocho, took to the streets of Bushbuckridge (26. May)
The communities, including the elderly, marched to the Municipality determined to be heard.
According the protesters, most of whom claim they didn’t vote; they’d rather govern themselves than have their current councillor, Enas Selowe, sit for another term.
The community marched to the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality in their hundreds carrying banners and chanting struggle songs.
The community of Dingleydale accuse Selowe, who has been a councillor for past ten years, of corruption, nepotism, theft of state funds for the Mango Youth Project and giving RDP houses to his girlfriends.
Dingledale doesn’t have a Community Police Forum and according to ward 22 spokesperson, Selowe would not allow them to form one.
The ward 22 spokesperson, Derrick Malumane told Bushbuckridge News that “we came here to stop corruption in our community, Selowe took the Mango youth project funds into his account in 2009 and the project’s accounts are now empty.”
Selowe is also accused of being anti-traditional leaders and they say he doesn’t consult them in anything.
According to the protesters, their community has not been developed; instead of getting services, the councillor’s family and friends are the ones who have benefited.
One of the projects Selowe has allegedly mismanaged is the Champeni poultry farm project, which was allegedly handed over to his girlfriend.
“We don’t have water, electricity and our roads are not tarred, the place has been the same since I was born, we are still drinking dirty water.” Said Samerie Moswena
The protesters handed over the memorandum to the BLM acting municipal manager, A. Mapaile, who said he would hand it over to the relevant people.
Mapaile tried to calm the protesters by telling them that as things stand, no councillor has been chosen for any ward.
“There is no Mayor, I don’t even know who it will be,”
Mapaile further assured the protesters that he would hand over the memorandum before the new council is named.
May 30, 2011
Current Affairs