About a thousand irate residents embarked on a service delivery protest this morning, which led to the closure of the road. Police spokesperson Josephine Rani advised motorists to use the N1 to reach their destination.

She said protesters gathered in front of the Ngwathe Municipality's offices. No arrests have been made but police continue to monitor the situation.

Police on the scene of the protest in Vredefort. Picture; Facebook/Danie Venter

“Voortrekker Street is barricaded with stones and burning tyres. There are no damages and no lootings reported.” 

OFM News previously reported that residents of Tumahole and other parts have been hit hard by the effects of water-shedding for at least two years. Without tankers delivering water, residents said they were forced to go to extreme measures to access water. Photos on social media showed senior citizens carrying buckets and fetching water from manholes.

Recently, Free State Premier Mxolisi Dukwana met some of the most troubled municipalities at OR Tambo House in Bloemfontein over water issues.

The town centre of Vredefort was off-limits to motorists during the protest action. Picture: Facebook/Danie Venter

During the meeting, Dukwana told officials there was a need to ensure that available water is reserved for the benefit of the people, especially with water being a scarce resource. “According to the Department of Water and Sanitation, some of the major water challenges include leakages and old infrastructure that has not been serviced or maintained for a long time. 

“Criminality has also been cited as one of the main reasons for the unavailability of water in most communities, as rogue elements often steal infrastructure.”  

Residents on their way to the scene of the protest action. Picture: Facebook/Danie Venter

Dukwana claimed the reason for flare-ups after water shortages was the failure of municipalities to properly communicate with residents.

OFM News