The Mangaung Concerned Community (MCC) group says their constituents in Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, Thaba’ Nchu, Dewetsdorp, Wepener, and Soutpan will not be participating in the national shutdown calling for the immediate release of Zuma from jail because they are of the view that the province did not benefit from the duo’s leadership and instead was looted rampantly during Zuma and Magashule’s respective tenures as President and Premier, citing the asbestos housing scandal and the Vrede Dairy Project as such examples. 

“Mangaung Concerned Community rejects, with the contempt they deserve, any attempts of bringing the lawlessness, chaos and anarchy visited on beneficiary provinces to our shores. We are equal before the law and no one is above the law”. The movement led by Themba Zweni is now calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in Mangaung.

This statement comes as the MCC decided to boycott paying rates and services to the metro until the embattled council is dissolved, as opposed to organising a shutdown urging residents to do the same. Zweni told OFM News that the Mangaung council is not properly managed and this is evident when looking at the state of the Free State metro’s finances. This is despite an unqualified audit being attained by the only metro under administration for the financial year ending June 2020.  He explains the boycott. The MCC committee views revenue generated from rates paid, as the source of the council’s “arrogance” and they now wish to cut that life line.

Meanwhile police have arrested hundreds of people across Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal amid the violent unrest that has claimed the lives of at least six people. The South African Defence Force (SANDF) has also been deployed in the violent areas to assist with maintaining order, following the looting and torching of several businesses and in some instances malls.

OFM News