RESIDENTS of Mthanqwa informal settlement in Brakpan have vowed not to register to vote.
They said they won’t vote in the coming elections because the government has failed them and there is no service delivery in their area.
On Saturday, 3 February, the residents turned a blind eye to IEC officials who were in the area to register voters.
A community leader, Sifiso Sikosana (33), said residents are gatvol.
“The community has taken a stand that they will not register to vote. If it comes to a push, we will not vote up until our voices are heard,” said Sifiso.
He said they have been living in the area for the past 30 years and government officials have been making them empty promises.
“We want houses and there is no service delivery. Councillors come and make promises. The next thing they disappeared and come back when they want our votes,” he said.
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Sifiso said the officials told the residents that they could not purchase the land because it belonged to private owners and they couldn’t find them.
“There are mega housing projects in and around Ekurhuleni we asked them to move to those areas. They didn’t consider us, but they only want our votes,” he said.
A resident who asked not to be named said residents are angry and the situation became worse last week when they set alight the councillor’s car.
“Some of the people have applied for the houses and they are not considered when there are housing projects. We want to have houses just like other people who have been given RDP houses by the government,” he said.
ANC member of parliament Teliswa Mgweba said they are visiting all the voting districts and listened to issues raised by the community.
“We have noted the issue of service delivery and we will escalate them to their levels because there's local government and also there's provincial government,” she said.
