Sipho Masombuka

Sipho Masombuka

A crowd of about 2000 residents of Mmakau, in Madibeng, North West, dropped thousands of placards on the driveway of the home of their ward councillor yesterday morning in protest against poor service delivery.

The residents also demanded that their area be incorporated into Tshwane.

Ward 17 councillor Beauty Motsepe was at home when the protesters arrived but refused to come out and speak to them. The protesters then dumped their placards on her driveway and left peacefully.

Community leader Million Mokgoko said residents had not had water for more than three months.

"Service delivery is non-existent in the whole of Mmakau and Ramogodi," he said.

"We are tired of being ignored. We have not had water for three months and nobody is telling the residents what is going on.

"We have tried many times to talk to our councillor but she is never prepared to listen to our concerns."

Residents said they wanted to be part of Tshwane because there was no service delivery in Madibeng.

"We are in Madibeng municipality but we are served by the GaRankuwa police station, which is in Tshwane," said Mokgoko.

"When we go to the GaRankuwa police station we are referred to Ramogodi. In Ramogodi they send us back to GaRankuwa. We will continue to protest until we are incorporated into Tshwane."

Residents said they would keep going to Motsepe's house until she spoke to them.

Madibeng municipal manager Phil Mopolane said he was aware of yesterday's protest but said it was the first time he had heard about the residents' complaints.

"To my knowledge, there is no problem with the water supply in Mmakau; [if there were] we would have received complaints from the people.

"We did not have water for two weeks; it was definitely not for three months," said Mopolane.

Mopolane said he did not know that the people of Mmakau wanted to be incorporated into Tshwane municipality.