By Lee-Yandra Paulsen
Irate residents of Swellendam have voiced their frustration with exorbitant electricity and water tariffs through protest action. On Wednesday, they gathered at the municipal offices, resorting to damaging infrastructure to make their concerns heard.
The Chairperson of Group 4 Developers, Riaan Koeberg, discussed the matter with VOC Breakfast, on Thursday emphasizing the dire need for effective communication between the community and government officials.
“There have been numerous calls on high tariffs and service delivery, yet the community has been failed by the government. Wednesday’s incident was the result of the anger and frustration of the community. The biggest lack between residents and government officials is communication,” said Koeberg.
Koeberg highlighted the communication breakdown as the primary obstacle, stressing that repeated calls for change had fallen on deaf ears. Koeberg affirmed that his group condemns violence, yet he acknowledged that some individuals might be influenced by external factors and organizations to resort to such measures.
Koeberg revealed the context behind the violent protests, explaining that these actions emerged after numerous futile discussions with no tangible outcomes for the community. He indicated that his group had been engaged in conversations with Swellendam’s leadership to quell the violence and chart a more constructive path forward.
Additionally, he revealed efforts to engage with the Mayor of Cape Town are ongoing to find common ground and mitigate the intensity of the protests.
VOC News
Photo: Screengrab
