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Councillor Nthambeleni Ndou says he has not forsaken his people and that he wants the best for his ward. 

Angry residents camp at councillor's gate

 

A service delivery protest in Vhembe last week took another turn when aggrieved residents of Bunzhe outside Thohoyandou marched some kilometres from their village to their councillor's house at Tshikhudini village.

Residents allege that the councillor had deserted them and is now staying in Ward 19. The residents, who had books and blankets with them, camped at the gate of Thulamela Ward 16's councillor, Mr Nthambeleni Ndou, accusing him of stalling an electricity development and deserting them by staying in another ward.

A community leader, Mr Lindelani Maboho, says the community has many challenges that require the attention of the councillor, but the councillor is evasive. "We have challenges like roads and electricity that we have been fighting for. We have struggled to get electricity since 2010, using our own monies until we had a breakthrough in February this year. The councillor is now the stumbling block as he does not come to our meetings and when we take decisions. This is delaying us in terms of development," he says.

He adds that the last straw was when the community was supposed to hire people who would work at the project and the councillor did not pitch up. "We have realised that this man does not have the interest of the community he serves. That is why we followed him to the other ward, so that he could explain why he is avoiding us."

The protestors sat at the gate and the councillor later arrived with the police. After a long discussion with police, the protestors decided they should go back home as they had not made prior arrangements with the local traditional leader.

Responding to the allegations, Ndou said he was not running away from his constituency. He said he was in support of the community initiatives and that he would be meeting them to see that all projects proceeded as planned.

"We had decided that a meeting should be held with the community this week where a way forward about the electricity project is to be charted," he said.

News - Date: 27 May 2017

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Angry community members who camped outside the councillor's gate in talks with the police, who arrived with the councillor.

 

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Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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