Residents of Kaap en Bou Informal Settlement in Grootfontein have petitioned the local municipality over unsatisfactory services.

In their petition, disgruntled residents say they continue to be affected by unemployment, lack of basic municipal services and weak healthcare services.

The residents say the town council continues to exclude them from programmes and activities aimed at benefiting them.

Group spokesperson Johannes Tommy said, "The majority of informal settlement residents and Grootfontien residents in particular face unemployment, youth in particular. These residents cannot therefore afford to buy prepaid water or pay for rates and taxes. The elderly need land ownership too. Informal residents were promised that electricity would be installed. When is this taking place? Since it's dark and our children and women are not safe from crime, they go to school and work very early. Our residents face issues of health, and the nearest clinic is 4 kilometres away. We ask the Grootfontien municipality to please engage the Ministry of Health to construct a clinic in the nearest area in the informal settlement. There are no toilets at Grootfontien informal settlement, forcing residents to use the bush, which is again far, unsafe and unhealthy."

The residents are further requesting that the council avail itself of budgeted youth programmes and development plans and look into claims of abuse of municipal resources by staff members.

The group also wants the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to fast-track the appointment of a chief executive officer of the council.

Receiving the petition, Grootfontein Municipality Public Relations Officer Luke Salomo said the council would revert through a community meeting to be held soon.

"We will respond to you, maybe not within nine days, but we can assure you that we will have a community meeting where we will respond to all these queries that you have raised."