Members of the South African National Civic Association (SANCO) brought traffic and the movement of people in and around Thohoyandou to a standstill when they marched to the offices of the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) to demand service delivery.
When they arrived at the municipal buildings, some marchers were seen praying next to the statue of the former Venda homeland president, the late Mbulaheni Patrick Mphephu, saying they regretted ever supporting thieves before and during the 1994 general elections.
The general secretary of Sanco in the Thulamela district, Mr Ben Phosiwa, kicked off his address by pointing to the municipality's offices, saying they had been built by the late former homeland President Patrick Mphephu, adding that the current ANC government had done nothing to improve the infrastructure. He reminded marchers that Mphephu had once said that people would remember him one day. Looking at the statue, Phosiwa said "We are really remembering you as all the present government does, is to loot the public purse."
Phosiwa lashed out at the former VDM mayor, Florence Radzilani, and Mr Rudzani Ludere, who was heading the finance portfolio committee at the time when the municipality illegally invested R300 million in VBS Mutual Bank. He said the former mayor of Thulamela and municipal manager had been arrested for their involvement in the municipality's investment at VBS. In the case of Thulamela, the municipality had not lost any money, as the investment had been retrieved quickly. Phosiwa said that VDM had lost all the money, but Radzilani and Ludere had not been arrested. "We don't understand that logic," he said.
Phosiwa blamed Radzilani and Ludere for causing the dismal situation VDM finds itself in. "That money [the R300 million] should have been used to provide services to our people. All the municipality is doing is harbouring thugs in their offices. You can elect Radzilani to higher positions in the ANC, but as SANCO Thulamela, we are saying she will never rule us," he said.
SANCO gave the VDM 14 days to respond to the demands contained in the memorandum, failure of which was result in "trouble in the district".
When reading the memorandum before handing it over to VDM's officials, SANCO's regional secretary, Mr Marcus Malume, said: "We demand that the then executive mayor who signed for the R300 million to be invested in the defunct VBS Mutual Bank, together with friends who played a role in this illegal move, be arrested with immediate effect."
Meanwhile, a representative from the SA Communist Party, Mr Billy Nengovhela, said that they were supporting SANCO's call for the VDM to provide water to all residents of the district. "We are also calling on all residents of Vhembe to attend the court case concerning the killing of former SANCO members Mr Ronald Mani and Timson Musetsho. We demand that all those who were involved in the killing of our leaders be arrested," he said.