ANC IPC convenor, Mxolisi Dukwana, says the IPC has met with irate residents twice already and there will also be follow-up meetings between them and residents. The meetings follow the spate of violent protests in the area with residents demanding to be removed from the ailing municipality, amongst other demands. Dukwana says residents are facing the challenges of a dysfunctional municipality.

“Most of the times these are caused by challenges of leadership, both political and administrative, and in some instances, you have a challenge in terms of revenue management and these are things that we needed to deal with. If you [fail to collect revenue for services rendered], poor people would end up going to the streets because municipalities would not be able to extend services as people expect,” he adds.

The violent protests in that area have led to the arrests of protesting residents. The Free State police said it had apprehended 55 protesting residents who are expected to appear in the Harrismith Local Magistrate's Court on Monday for public violence. 

"There are going to be continuous meetings because we have agreed to have working committees that will be focusing on different streams, to look at the economic recovery of the place, social recovery and development of the place and also looking at the service delivery in terms of street lights, bulk water infrastructure and also the water network, etc,” Dukwana further adds. 

Dukwana says this process does not necessarily involve President Cyril Ramaphosa. This after the protesting residents called for President Ramaphosa to address them.

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