EFF demands Polokwane writes off the poor's municipal arrears

EFF Limpopo provincial secretary and MPL Jossy Buthane said residents were struggling to pay mounting debts.

"The municipality must cancel all debts on water and electricity for pensioners, child-headed families and the unemployed," said Buthane, whose message was cheered by ululating pensioners who joined a march he led to the municipal offices.

Buthane, who is also the opposition party's spokesman in the province, said water and electricity billing was exorbitant and inconsistent.

"You must know that this municipality is not corrupt, it is rotten," said Buthane, arguing that the council was failing to appoint a municipal manager due to political interference.

The march saw hundreds of EFF supporter make their way through downtown Polokwane to the municipality.

The EFF's Limpopo leader Mike Mathebe boasted that it was the last time the party would do so as an opposition outfit because it would head the local government after the August 3 municipal elections.

"We are marching here for the second time they did not respond to our memorandum, but you must know that it is the last time because they will be marching to us," said Mathebe.

Demonstrators claimed that their municipal bills soared from a few rands to thousands of rands in the space of a month.

Suzen Phaswana of Seshego said she joined the march because the municipality had failed to resolve her grievances since December 2015.

"I had this problem since October last year. I went to the municipality questioning the bill, but they decided that they did not want to help me," said Phaswana.

"I won't be able to pay this bill. It is too much, they may even switch off water for me."

Phaswana said her bill increased from R28 in October to R7,600 January 2016.

"I don't know what to do now, I am not working, I am here for the third time at the municipality to complain… they told me that they will fix it," said Phaswana

Another resident, Tsepo Maleka, said his bill increased from R400 to R7,000 within two months.

The municipality's Mayoral Committee Member for Roads, Sinah Tjale, received the memorandum and promised to respond to the grievances. - ANA