Violence rocks sleepy Bedford

Not since the 1800s has the small town of Bedford seen social upheaval on the scale of the recent wave of service delivery protests, which have already resulted in the death of one resident and the arrests of three others.

The town is up in arms over the proposed amalgamation of its Nxuba local municipality with neighbouring Nkonkobe municipality.

Neither police, who have deployed two armoured vehicles to keep peace in the town, nor the Nxuba municipality, which wants a court interdict to restrain residents, are taking a casual attitude towards the violence.

Municipal manager Siphiwo Caga told the Daily Dispatch the council would approach the court for an interdict to bar residents from disrupting municipal workers and services.

“At present the situation is calm but tense,” Caga said.

The Democratic Alliance’s Ross Purdon has also entered the fray, saying: “Anger and frustration with poor service delivery in the Nxuba Municipality cannot be solved with violence.

“The right people who can do the job must be appointed. Amalgamating poorly performing municipalities such as Nxuba with others is not a solution.”

Purdon said they would continue to fight the amalgamation.

“I have written to the MEC for local government, Fikile Xasa, to give him details of the situation and to request his intervention,” he said.

The Dispatch visited the town last week and met a group of Sanco leaders, who have threatened that Bedford would be ungovernable until their demands were met. The organisation is against the amalgamation.

Sanco deputy chairman Sphelo Plaatjie said they were not fazed by the increased police presence in their town.

Residents were also concerned about nepotism, the appointment of officials with criminal records to administrative positions, corruption and the fact that at least three ward committee members were related to the ward councillor and their election had not followed due process, he added.

Caga said they had attempted to meet Sanco demands by provisionally suspending implicated officials last week.

Resident Joseph Steyn, 76, who lives in Adelaide Street said he has to change his car’s shock absorbers every four months.

“We must be the only suburb in the Eastern Cape with unpaved roads. Nxuba has money but our roads are not paved. They don’t even try to fix potholes in the gravel road,” Steyn said.

He supported the protests but stressed they should be peaceful.

Police spokeswoman Brigadier Marinda Mills said the three people arrested had been released on R2000 bail each.

Mills said that as part of their bail conditions, the men were warned to remain confined to their homes and not be involved in similar incidents. Their next court appearance is on May 26.

— zwangam@dispatch.co.za