Residents want their mayor out

23 June 2008 - 02:00
By unknown

McKeed Kotlolo

McKeed Kotlolo

Angry Refilwe residents have accused their municipality of nepotism and corruption and want its mayor to resign.

A list of allegations, contained in a memorandum, were submitted to a municipal employee after the Nokeng Tsa Taemane mayor, Anna Digoro, and municipal manager, Mpho Mogale, failed to accept the memorandum.

A poorly attended protest march was organised by the local Community Development Forum on Friday after local authorities apparently failed to meet the forum's representatives to respond to their grievances.

Local developer and leader of the forum, Mafete Phokane, said they had already staged three sit-ins at the municipal offices to highlight their grievances.

Among the grievances were "the purchasing of farms, the appointment of contractors and the lack of service delivery".

The forum also accused the mayor and her manager of being "arrogant" and called for their immediate resignation.

"We want to make her aware that the ANC in this province was elected by the community."

The memorandum stated "if she [Digoro] does not resign, we are not going to vote next year".

The forum claimed hard-working officials were suspended to make way for those "favoured" by municipal officials.

They also demanded a full report on why the municipality stopped the RDP housing project in Refilwe.

Attempts to contact Digoro were unsuccessful - her cellphone was on voice mail.