Although service-delivery protests are understandable, the violence that goes along with some of the demonstrations is concerning, Tshwane executive mayor Gwen Ramokgopa said on Thursday.
She released the city’s annual service-delivery figures, showing that the metro council has had success in meeting and even succeeding many of its targets for the last year.
”We become victims of our own success, when other people see what is possible with their neighbours, they know its possible with them [and] it creates great anxiety and impatience,” Ramokgopa said while releasing the figures.
She said her greatest concern was the backlogs that exist.
”For the poor who 13 years down the line are still trapped in poverty, it becomes very difficult for them to understand and appreciate fully that the budget caters for just a fraction of [them] at the time,” Ramokgopa said.
She said, however, she was concerned that criminals were misusing some of the service-delivery protests and that they were used for political posturing by politicians.
She urged those who want to protest to do so peacefully and to use all the institutions available to make their point rather than turning to violence.
”It is possible for South Africans to raise their concerns in a democratic way respecting public property, their own property and the rights of others,” she said.
Some of the figures released by Ramokgopa shows that 11 131 houses were electrified during the last year and an additional 13 110 houses in the poor Winterveldt area also received electricity.
Almost 20 000 households were provided with sewer connections and 98% of households have access to primary healthcare within a radius of 5km were they live.
The city built 37,5km of new roads and 5 928 traffic signals were upgraded and maintained.
The figures also show that 30 821 corrections were made on the city’s billing system, with 6 460 queries still to be investigated and corrected. — Sapa