Mayor held on to his faith during capture
Buthelezi was kept hostage for eight hours
The North West mayor who was held hostage for eight hours on Wednesday night says his belief in God kept his spirits high during his ordeal at the hands of his captors.
Mayor Daniel Buthelezi of Ditsobotla local municipality was held by a group of residents in the municipal buildings in Lichtenburg.
His capture was the climax of a series of protests, often violent, residents have been waging against lack of development in Boikhutso township and other locations in the area.
A block of municipal building was torched.
The mayor, however, insisted the group was not violent or aggressive towards him. He said he was allowed to call his wife whom he assured his life was not in danger. Residents wanted Buthelezi to explain why there were unfinished roads between Boikhutso and Lichtenburg town.
Speaking to Sowetan from his Burgersdorp surburb home in Lichtenburg, a physically drained Buthelezi in his pyjamas said by surviving the drama he had proved to be a “good leader who knew how to negotiate and talk to people”.
“I trusted in God because there are some of the things that you cannot fight on your own.
“The situation was unusual for me but because I have a good working relationship with people, I managed to calm them down,” Buthelezi said.
The mayor said he spoke to the group of residents whom he described as “people with an agenda” who told him that they were going to burn other parts of the municipal building.
“I ended up managing the situation by myself and just being there at the time, I take it it saved the institution a lot. The damage that could have been there if I w as not around could have been massive.”
Buthelezi’s municipality is facing financial difficulties but he said he had plans to make sure that there were developments in the area
He said compared to other townships, Boikhutso residents were fortunate.
“We need to share whatever cake that we have, and how we share it it’s upon us as councillors. I want to see every ward being developed but it’s a question of budget.
“But what is also critical is that we need also to develop strategies and other things of ensuring that I do improve other situation and how to take initiatives in terms of getting other resources to improve the municipality.”
He said there were issues that were raised robustly in council about services in Boikhutso .
“It’s not always that whatever that you want you will always get it,” he added.
Buthelezi said his municipality was at point of making impact in people’s lives.
“There are other things that we are trying to correct and its unfortunate that some people do not want to exercise patience.
“They want me to look as if I cannot run the municipality, I have never failed as a leader,” added the former teacher born in Jan Kempdorp.
North West police have arrested 32 people in connection with Buthelezi’s hostage and the act of arson on the municipal building.
Police spokesman Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said the arrested people were charged with attempted murder, kidnapping and arson.
The suspects are expected to appear before the Ditsobotla Magistrate’s Court soon.
I have a good working relationship with the people