The mayor of Letsemeng Local Municipality, Sello Bahumi, who himself resides in Bolokanang, tells OFM News the calm that has descended on the area is on condition that he and the rest of the municipality’s management come back to the township, on Friday, 25 September 2020, and brief them on the measures in place to improve service delivery. Bahumi will, ahead of the aforementioned public meeting, consult the rest of the Letsemeng management and deliberate on the issues raised.

At this meeting which will begin on Monday, Bahumi and company will ascertain which of the challenges raised can be attended to first and which ones can only be attended to over a longer period of time. These include, unemployment, inconsistent water supply and the absence of Mass Street Lighting in the area. With regards to calls for his head, Bahumi casually dismisses those claims, telling OFM News that they only came from three people in this community, and were not a reflection of the will of the people of Petrusburg and Letsemeng at large.

On Thursday, the OFM News team paid a visit to Bolokanang township, located along the N8 road between Kimberley and Bloemfontein, finding roads leading to and from the area, blocked with refuse material, burned tyres and broken off parts of infrastructure. Community leader, Lehlohonolo Banda was adamant that the incumbent mayor had failed his people and that it was time for him to go. Furthermore, Bahumi has been accused of being somewhat aloof, never being available at the municipal head offices in Koffiefontein when needed.

He blames the coronavirus pandemic for his absence, and pledges to be available as time continues, with the country approaching alert level 1 lockdown.

This isn’t the first time that Bahumi has erred on the wrong side of the community he serves. The incumbent mayor was fingered as the perpetrator in the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl from Petrusburg in December 2018. The alleged rape was reported on 21 December 2018, after the victim said it occurred at around 01:00 am. Free State police spokesperson, Thabo Covane, said the matter ended up sitting in the Petrusburg Magistrate’s Court in early 2019. The victim and her mother, however, later approached the Sexual Offences Regional Court, informing officials that they no longer wanted to continue with the case. The rape case against Bahumi was formally withdrawn in the Local Magistrate’s Court on 28 February 2019, mere days before he was selected as the preferred candidate for the position of Mayor.

His predecessor, Thandiwe Reachable, is also no stranger to controversy and scathing criticism from Letsemeng residents. In early March 2019, Reachable stepped down from her position, following months of intense protest action in the small town of Koffiefontein, where residents repeatedly called for her head. Protest action in the Free State mining town intensified in October 2018, with angry residents burning and destroying public and private property in an effort to oust Reachable. Schooling came to a complete halt as a result and pupils with the exception of grade 12’s, failed to write their final examinations, leaving many in limbo when the academic year got underway in early 2019.

OFM News