Qoboshiyane visits Dordrecht to help quell violent protests

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Eastern Cape Local Government MEC, Mlibo Qoboshiyane, has condemned the violent protests that have been taking place in Dordrecht in the North-Eastern Cape.

His visit to the town on Wednesday comes in the wake of several days of protests by local residents who raised several grievances with him in a recent memorandum.

These include service delivery issues like the removal of litter, the delivery of housing and the removal of the bucket toilet system to a broader demarcation issue where some residents are pushing for the municipality to be incorporated into the Joe Gqabi District Municipality from the Chris Hani District Municipality.

Qoboshiyane met the mayor of the Emalahleni Municipality as well as members of the SA National Civic Organisation today where he made several undertakings to address their concerns.

Freelance journalists, Sharon Salmon, says Qoboshiyane also undertook to investigate why the Ikala College had been moved from Dordrecht to Queenstown and if there is sufficient reason to move it back to Dordrecht.

On the demarcation issue, Salmon said that Sanco had submitted its application to the Demarcation board too late but the meeting heard that the Board would still look into Sanco's application.

"That is also going to be a process and a task team will be established to look into the demarcation issue," she said.

According to Salmon, Qoboshiyane was also concerned that schools in the town had been closed a result of the protests. She said he wanted the children back behind their desks.

On the housing issue she said it was suggested that the local community be mobilised to assist in repairing RDP houses while also "upskilling" local residents in skills like brick-making.