The new acting mayor, Abram Lebaka, was elected as acting mayor on Friday by the municipal council following the sudden resignation of the then-acting mayor, Sello Bahumi. He says it’s the duty and responsibility of councillors to educate residents about the importance of paying for services rendered by the municipality.  Residents of Petrusburg and Koffiefontein have been vocal and protested against the municipality for allegedly failing to attend to service delivery issues, which include water issues and the creation of jobs. The Free State ANC is yet to comment.

Lebaka is the second consecutive acting mayor of the troubled municipality since the resignation of the then-mayor, Thandiwe Reachable, who was forced to resign following continuous violent protests by irate Koffiefontein residents.

Recently residents of Petrsubrug called for the immediate resignation of Bahumi who is also the ward councillor in the area.

In September, irate residents of Bolokanang in Petrusburg took to the streets while calling for the immediate resignation of Bahumi over service delivery issues.

The community leader, Kevin Lehlohonolo Banda, told OFM News that residents have, amongst others, been forced to endure raw sewage and waste refuse that has allegedly not been collected for over two months, amongst others.

For months residents have been trying to get answers from Bahumi but their efforts have not yielded any results. Banda said what was exacerbating the matter around the area is the high rate of youth unemployment and the lack of infrastructure development.

OFM News