Community members expressed their dissatisfaction with the mayor during a recent community meeting. Picture: Sandi Kwon Hoo
COMMUNITY members are preparing to stage a shutdown after feeling snubbed by Sol Plaatje executive mayor Kagisho Sonyoni and municipal officials.
A date for the shutdown has not been determined yet, as the Kimberley Action Group will meet with taxi operators, businesses and the Northern Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry to garner more support.
Last week, taxi operators blocked roads in the CBD, protesting the lack of action against illegal taxis, which they said were not being impounded.
They warned that violence could spill over at any time as they were being threatened at gunpoint.
During a meeting at the Galeshewe circle this week, members of the public labeled the mayor a “puppet” and accused him of being “arrogant, undermining them and treating them like small children”.
Chants of “We removed the former mayor, Mangaliso Matika, and we can do the same for Sonyoni” echoed through the gathering.
Boyce Makodi from the Kimberley Action Group requested the Sol Plaatje municipal representatives, who assured the community that the mayor was not trying to run away from them, to produce a sick note to validate the reason for his absence from the community meeting.
A petition criticised the mayor for failing to safeguard the financial health and stability of the municipality.
It added that mismanagement was evident from the 14.17 percent electricity increase that was 1.45 percent higher than the 12.72 percent increase authorised by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa.
Makodi pointed out that it was only a matter of time before the “121 percent” basic and capacity charge would be introduced as the municipality was under pressure to generate revenue.
He advised that a new Section 106 investigation be instituted into irregular expenditure at the municipality.
“The findings of the Section 106 report that was conducted in 2018 must be implemented and council must be disbanded. Sol Plaatje Municipality is sinking, let the provincial and national government step in and place it under administration. It has nothing to show for the R500 million that was allocated to improve services and does not deserve any grant funding.”
Makodi added that a meeting held with the municipal manager on Monday in an attempt to avert the shutdown had not succeeded.
“No answers were forthcoming and we are going ahead with the shutdown because the community are angry and hungry. The municipality must write off the R2.1 billion it says it is owed by residents. Let us start on a clean slate. Huge profits are being made on the sale of electricity - it is a cash cow.”
Mayor Sonyoni stated that he was not aware of any community meeting.
“It is part of a vindictive agenda. I am being targeted and I will take legal action against my detractors,” he said.