Nelspruit - Service delivery protests in Mpumalanga between September and March have cost almost R40-million in property damages.
Tabling the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs' budget on Thursday, MEC Norman Mokoena said the amount was estimated to be at least R38 280 588 and included damage to both government and councillors' properties.
"Largely, these protests pointed to challenges in areas of financial management, institutional capacity and leadership in some of our municipalities. Such manifestations of poor performance, poor communication and perceived 'social distance' between the servants of the people and people themselves should become focal points of attention as we continue to turn our local government system around into a better-performing machinery," said Mokoena.
He added that the service delivery protests were characterised by violence, intimidation, destruction of properties and, in some instances, loss of lives.
"As a democratic state we will at all times respect the right of people to voice their concerns through protests, however, the violent protests, wanton destruction of property and intimidation will not be tolerated," he warned.
Mokoena said he there was policy vacuum regarding ways in which public representatives should be compensated for damages to their property caused during service delivery protests.
"In the interim, we have advised municipalities to enlist with the South African Special Risk Insurance Association to cover such instances."
According to Mokoena, 84 working days were lost because of the protests.
"It is interesting to note that while the service delivery protests in Mpumalanga received the most media coverage, Gauteng, in fact, experienced the highest levels of service delivery protests, followed by the North West," he added
