The N4 and R49 roads have been opened for traffic at Zeerust in the North West after residents blockaded them Tuesday morning using minibus taxis. Residents were complaining about the lack of services. North West Community Safety MEC Sello Lehari met the protesting residents as well as the local taxi operators and promised to meet with them on Wednesday, together with Premier Bushy Maape.

“Tomorrow we are coming here, as a team, relevant MECs, led by the premier, to address this issue of water and some other issues. After the meeting at 10 o’clock, we are going to address the community at large. And they want to be addressed by the premier. So, the premier will be here tomorrow.”

They are complaining about the lack of services, such as water, roads, health facilities, and schools, amongst others. Schools in the area were also not spared.

 “We have had water problems for over 15 years in ward 13,” says one of the residents.

“We were supposed to do revision at schools but the teachers didn’t come to school because of the strike,” says one of the learners.

 But contingency plans ensured that examinations proceeded as planned.

“We are having 13 schools that had to sit for economics and indeed other schools have started on time while only five schools started later because the roads were blocked. Our learners couldn’t go through even the papers from the centers that we are storing them from it wasn’t easy for those people honestly to make it through,” says MEC Wendy Matsembula.