Eastern Cape transport MEC Weziwe Tikana has agreed to bring machinery to fix roads in troubled Matatiele – but only if municipal bosses can guarantee they won’t get torched again.
Further, Tikana wants a clear project plan from the municipality and a project steering committee.The MEC was in crisis-hit Matatiele on Tuesday to meet municipal and business leaders and residents after an outbreak of violence last week by angry Maluti residents over the poor state of their roads.
Three public works bakkies were torched during a protest which shut down Matatiele.Tikana then suspended all road maintenance in the area to prevent taxpayers’ money from going up in smoke.
At the Tuesday meeting it was agreed that the protest would be suspended and road fixing equipment would return to the roads by Monday. The MEC has demanded municipal assurance that there would be no more destruction of the machines.
“I cannot risk departmental assets. If they end up being burnt again I will be an irresponsible leader. The plant will be back on Monday but it needs to be safe.”
She told the meeting the department did not have enough funds to put every road that needs fixing out to tender.
Some of the work had to be done in-house.
Matatiele business chamber chair Zolile Mosweu said the shutdown had hurt business in the town.
“You can’t generate an income if no one is coming to buy in your shop. We have lost a lot.”
Matatiele mayor Momelezi Mbedla was relieved that agreement had been reached.
Everything would be back to normal on Wednesday, he said, adding: “There were families whose loved ones passed away but they couldn’t arrange funerals due to the impasse.”..