Scores of residents held a protest march outside the premises of the troubled municipality to object to Centlec's tariff hikes, as well as other issues. 

The Mangaung Service Delivery Forum's Potso Motoko, says the chairperson of Centlec must also be removed as Motoko attributed many of the troubles allegedly besieging the power utility to him. 

Motoko says the chairperson has been at the helm of the board for far too long, yet Centlec's financial woes seems to continue to escalate. Motoko and scores of residents from towns across the Metro handed over their memorandum of grievances to the acting Municipal Manager of the Metro, Sello More.

More has promised to respond to the demands of the residents within seven working days. Residents from as far as Thaba 'Nchu, Soutpan and Botshabelo on Tuesday marched through the streets of Mangaung, singing and chanting struggle songs. 

They first marched to the offices of Small Business and Economic Development (Destea) where they handed over their memorandum of demands. 

READ: Mangaung residents deliver memorandum with grievances

They want the department to explain the non-funding of and lack of support to small businesses and to also address the mushrooming of illegal foreign-owned businesses across their towns. The march ended at the premises of the municipality, where they also handed their memorandum of demands.

Residents have vowed to return within seven days if they do not receive a response.

OFM News/Lucky Nkuyane and Kekeletso Mosebetsi