Sparks fly in Shongoane

LEPHALALE - Several people were injured after an event hosted by Lephalale Mayor, Jack Maeko in Shongoane on Sunday were disrupted by members of the Steve Biko community led by councillor Koos Motsholakgetse.
According to Maeko the purpose of the event was to engage with the public concerning issues of service delivery in the Steve Biko area. He told Northern News on Wednesday that Motsholakgetse and a group of young people, tried to disrupt the gathering. He accused Motsholakgetse of illegally allocating stands in the Steve Biko area and pocketing R800 per stand and
R25 000 per business stand.
Motsholakgetse who on Wednesday appeared in the Lephalale Magistrates Court on charges of public violence following Sunday’s incident, denies these allegations. He explains that the land belongs to the communal property association (CPA), chaired by David Tselane following a successful land claim in 2008. Since then members of the community could “purchase” a stand by contributing R385 to cover administrative and legal costs.
According to Motsholakgetse, Maeko has on several occasions threatened to evict residents from the area demanding that they pay R200 to chief Shongoane. “The land does not belong to the chief and the community is in the process of acquiring the land from the CPA at a set amount. The CPA will then use the money to ensure that services like water and electricity is brought to the area,”
Mosholakgetse explains that the previous council budgeted for water and electricity in the area, but that Maeko stopped the process until the Chief is paid his “dues”.
Regarding the incident on Sunday, Motsholakgetse accuses Maeko of bussing people, who are not part of the community, into an area to provoke residents. He said he saw a municipal truck filled with stones, chairs and a tent drive into the area.
“The Mayor wants to fight and he comes prepared. Community members pulled the tent down and made it clear that they were not interested in a meeting. That is when a vehicle left the area and came back with a group of people who started to throw stones at us. The Mayor has formed a group called 'Majammogo' and they have threatened to kill me when they plan to return to our area on 18 November,” claims Motsholakgetse.