Staff Reporter
The two-day shutdown which brought all business activities across Mangaung to a standstill has been called off.
The decision to suspend the shutdown follows a meeting held by the Free State provincial government led by Premier Sisi Ntombela and the organisers of the protest this afternoon.
A statement issued by the premier’s spokesperson, Sello Pietersen, said the meeting had agreed to suspend the shutdown and allow businesses to resume operations while a binding agreement is drawn up for immediate implementation.
“We agree that issues raised by the leaders of our community are genuine and must be looked into as a matter of urgency,” said Ntombela at the end of the meeting held at her office at OR Tambo Building in Bloemfontein on Tuesday afternoon.
“The state of our municipality is not at a desired level, and that is precisely why the provincial government has intervened.
“We are all in agreement that we want a functional municipality and we can achieve that if we join hands and work together.”
The meeting was attended by protest organisers Mangaung Community Concern as well as Mangaung Business Forum, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC Thembeni Nxangisa, Health MEC Montseng Tsiu, Public Works and Human Settlements MEC Tshidi Koloi, the South African Municipal Workers Union, the leadership of Mangaung Metro and other stakeholders.
The meeting, according to the statement, deliberated on the key concerns raised by the various stakeholders, including but not limited to lack of service delivery; lack of access to business opportunities; and the need for sound management of municipal affairs.
“The meeting agreed to develop a detailed signed agreement which binds all stakeholders outlining all the areas of concern as well as the timeframes for implementation and monitoring.
“A joint project management team comprising all the stakeholders will be developed as part of ensuring that the agreement is implemented in the interest of the community of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality,” read part of the statement.
The meeting also noted the unfortunate incident in which 15-year-old Jevano Liam Siegel, a Grade 7 pupil at Heide Primary School, lost his life after he was allegedly shot by a security guard.
It was agreed that the Office of the Premier will oversee the burial processes in consultation with the family.
Residents have been urged to remain calm and observe COVID-19 lockdown regulations while the proposed agreement is drawn up and implemented in full.