Premier Mabuza avoided confrontation in Bushbuckridge
14 June 2013
Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza and his entire executive council visited various wards in the Bushbuckridge Municipality following an unpleasing socio-economic profile which does not paint a good picture in terms development.
As part of its cabinet outreach programme, the provincial government needed to get first-hand information from the households by conducting door-to-door visits which is a norm.
However, during the consultation with communities, a group of people formed up and started shouting “VIVA Bra” and “Mabuza must leave” slogans demanding that the Premier leave the area.
The Premier was in the same ward with Community Safety Security MEC Vusi Shongwe who continued with the visits after the Premier had left the area in fear of confrontation between the police and communities.
The Premier decided to leave as marchers started to disrupt his interaction with the households “in respect and in avoiding an unnecessary injury” to the people as he left to attend to another scheduled community meeting at Ka-Kumane in ward 29.
Prior to leaving the area, Premier Mabuza attempted to address the crowd which later became rowdy thereby leading to him deciding to leave the area.
“I understand and appreciate the people’s frustration; indeed the situation here is not good. During our outreach programme we identified water, roads, houses and unemployment as key challenges for the people of Bushbuckridge.
“We have already started with construction of some roads. We understand that there has been tension amongst the community as to who should be employed and why not; the municipality will assist us on that.
“Our door-to-door campaign will continue, no one will stop us from doing government work. It is our responsibility as a provincial government to ensure that all citizens in the province receive services,” said Mabuza.
The Premier added that Bushbuckridge was amongst the eighth municipalities under the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme which needed the necessary and serious government intervention.
He conceded that it was a far huge municipality and at times government’s intervention would not make a huge impact immediately, and this led to people being frustrated.
“With the new social infrastructure projects we will introduce, indeed some people will get temporal jobs. We have identified the agricultural sector as having a potential to create permanent jobs, but the youth in general is not interested on agriculture.
“We are building 2000 RDP houses here as compared to other CRDP municipalities which are earmarked for only 900. Many households here have electricity and we are working hard on providing piped water.
“It is in this regard that we call on communities to work together with us. We should not fight where we do not see eye-to-eye. Conflicts delay development and it cannot happen that a political party would stand on the way of people’s freedom.
“It is a known fact that some organisation survive by criticising our government, once government has addressed whatever issues, the opposition becomes quite. Our main focus will be Bushbuckridge in terms development, and we will leave no stone unturned,” said Mabuza.
He emphasised that he was not entirely happy with work done by the Administrator in the Bushbuckridge Municipality since it was placed under administration, adding that the situation should improve immediately or he would be replaced.
Today [Friday, 14 June 2013] the Premier joined Water Affairs Minister Edna Molewa in the official opening and hand-over in tapping water from the Inyaka Dam and Ackonhoek.
The move will see 116 Bushbuckridge villages receive piped water by the end of February next year after the second phase of reticulation has been completed.
Issued by Zibonele Mncwango
Spokesperson: Mpumalanga Premier
Tel: (013) 766 – 2453
Mobile: 079 491 0163
E-mail:
zmncwango@mpg.gov.za