RESIDENTS of Jozini in northern KZN want their mayor, Berthwell Mthethwa, to step down.
The demand comes after he allegedly failed to solve the area’s water crisis.
Residents brought the town to a standstill yesterday by blocking roads with burning tyres and throwing stones at passing cars.
The protest apparently started on Monday, when residents learned that the Jozini Municipality, located in the UMkhanyakude District, was installing water meters without informing them.
They said they did not want the water meters.
Residents had connected water to their households illegally after claiming that the municipality had failed for the past few years to provide them with it.
Resident Sboniso Mathebula told Daily Sun residents were angered when municipal workers started installing water meters without their knowledge.
“The municipality does not care about our needs. We want a new mayor who will put residents’ needs first. We want Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomsa Dube-Ncube to remove the mayor and intervene to solve our water issue,” he said.
UMkhanyakude spokesman Mdu Mahlinza said they were working with the MEC to resolve the issue.
“Residents brought a memorandum to our attention. We’re working on a solution with the help of the MEC’s office.
“The people should, however, understand that the municipality needs the money that residents will pay for water in order to fight water shortages in the area,” he said. They had not heard of any calls to remove the mayor.
KZN police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said a case of public violence had been opened and 23 suspects arrested since the protest began.
