Tsumeb
A group of Grootfontein residents is preparing for a peaceful demonstration to the town council today to express their discontent over a range of pertinent issues that they say is hampering the development of the town.
New Era is in possession of a letter addressed to the town’s Chief Executive Officer, Charles Kariko, in which the residents asked for clarity over the legal status of elected town councillors, the latest council resolutions, the status of the town’s finances, as well as the delivery of basic services, such as waste removal, that some residents claim they do not receive.
New Era recently visited Grootfontein and reported on the heaps of refuse piling up on street corners, as well as burst sewage pipes that flooded the roads with waste material. In areas, such as the John Pandeni residential suburb, as well as Omulunga township, streets were filled with pools of stagnant sewage mingled with household refuse, while on street corners piles of refuse could be seen.
According to residents of the area, refuse is usually collected on a weekly basis, but the maintenance of the sewage system and the road network has been neglected for some years now.
A member of the group that will be taking part in the demonstration today, who preferred anonymity, said the town council has lost touch with the conditions and needs of the local residents and claimed the council has also avoided hosting compulsory monthly meetings.
When contacted for comment the CEO of Grootfontein said he had no knowledge of the consultations that the residents were planning to have with his office. “No, I am not aware of this. Do these discussions warrant a demonstration?” he asked.
When asked to comment on the allegations levelled against the town council, Kariko said there is no need for him to discuss anything, since he was already mentioned in the media over the same allegations.
“What’s the use? You already put our dirty town in the paper, I have no comment,” he said, before putting the phone down.