News24.com | Mashatile heckled by DA, residents during oversight visit in struggling Sedibeng Municipality

Deputy President Paul Mashatile on an oversight visit in Sedibeng on 12 April 2023

• Deputy President Paul Mashatile was heckled by DA members and residents from the struggling Sedibeng District Municipality during his first local government oversight visit.
• The DA expressed its concerns about the time it has taken the ANC government to complete the Vereeniging intermodal taxi facility. 
• It's been more than nine years since the start of the project, which was set to be completed in 2015.

It was a baptism of fire for the new deputy president, Paul Mashatile, who was heckled by DA members and struggling residents on his first official local government oversight visit on Wednesday. 

After waiting for 10 years for a new taxi rank in Vereeniging, the DA and Sedibeng District Municipality residents took advantage of Mashatile’s oversight visit to stage a protest to demonstrate their displeasure.  

Led by Kingsol Chabalala, a DA member of the Gauteng provincial legislature, about 40 people in DA regalia congregated at the taxi rank’s entrance along Union Street. 

The disgruntled protesters’ gathering commenced at 10:45, just before Mashatile's scheduled arrival. 

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This led to confrontation between the DA members and law enforcement officials, including the security detail leading Mashatile’s convoy as he finally made his way to the taxi rank. 

Speaking to News24, Chabalala said the reason for the DA and some community members voicing their displeasure was because the project to construct the intermodal taxi facility was still incomplete nine years later. 

“The construction of the taxi rank commenced on 15 January 2014 and was supposed to be completed on 15 January 2015. The date of completion was shifted to December 2018, but the taxi rank remains incomplete while the cost is skyrocketing. 

“The last time we, as members of the Gauteng legislature, got an update on the costs, it was close to R70 million that had been spent, but there is still nothing to show for it because construction is still under way,” said Chabalala. 

Addressing Mashatile, Tshepo Mahanuke, the CEO of the Johannesburg Roads Agency, admitted that "shocking blunders" had been committed. 

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He said there was no consultation with the taxi industry and the design of the rank, which had two loading lanes but no passing lane, was "completely rejected".

Mahanuke stated there was a need for a redesign to correct this defect hence the move to a second taxi rank. He did not mention the costs incurred. 

Mahanuke said the first taxi rank would be used as an “overflow rank” once the unfinished second taxi rank was up and running. 

Heckling

Adding to his already arduous start to the oversight visit, Mashatile and the delegation, which included five ministers, four deputy ministers, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and his MECs, were heckled by community members at the second site visit. 

This was the area where 5 000 mixed housing units for the Vaal River City Metro development were being built. 

After receiving a briefing on the project's progress, Mashatile and his delegation asked to be excused because they needed to rush to the Vereeniging Fresh Produce Market. 

A handful of residents at the site took offence and heckled the delegation, asking to speak to the deputy president.

A resident who identified herself as Maria Mokoena was finally allowed to address Mashatile and the premier. 

The resident took issue with the site manager at the Vaal River City Interchange, where the housing development was taking place. The resident said she was employed at the construction site but after working for 16 days was released without pay. 

Lesufi asked one of his MECs to assist the community member. The MEC took down her contact details, and the delegation moved swiftly to the fresh produce market. 

Addressing the media, Mashatile said the aim of Wednesday’s visit was to evaluate the progress of all the projects. 

“We will then give feedback to the president before committing to coming back and addressing the public within two to three months,” said Mashatile. 

He explained that the reason for the delay in giving feedback to the community members was that he still had to crisscross the country and follow up on all the projects the president committed to last year during his imbizos in various provinces.