JOHANNESBURG - When residents in a community feel their grievances over basic service delivery have been ignored anger builds.
By the time officials find their way into these communities for engagements, frustration boils, because then, residents come face to face with those who are meant to uphold their promise but believe they failed.
Recently, Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina's vulgar utterances to a Kouga resident have made headlines.
Human rights activist Alex Mailola said the frustration on the ground is real and structural.
This, he said, is not impatience but has to do with people living without basic services like water.
"Communities use all proper channels. They report faults, attend IDP meetings, wait. When nothing changes for months and years, anger is predictable. Any leader should expect it. "
"It is worrying when officials act shocked by anger. It shows how distant power has become. If you are more offended by shouting than by a family living weeks without clean water, you have lost Batho Pele. People first, " Mailola said
The profanity exchange between Majodina and a community member happened during the launch of an upgraded pump station.
The incident, captured in a video, saw a community member who was being escorted out of the venue shouting "jou ma se ****" to Majodina, who then responded by saying "Phuma! Jou ma se **** ook."
eNCA spoke to Kyle Minnaar, an administrator in the Kouga Municipality, who detailed the heated meeting with the community.
According to Minnaar, the day started with the launch before moving to government-community engagement, which turned ugly.
He said during the Q&A session, a resident who was forced out of the hall was disagreeing with another resident who was speaking .
"I suppose he talked out of turn when the Minister requested that this resident be removed from the hall. While he was walking out of the hall, she passed the insult, Minnaar said.
Much like Minnaar, critics argue that while they note that the community member who was escorted out may have been guilty of speaking out of turn, that was not enough reason for the Minister to respond in that manner.
Mailola said when an official insults a resident from a podium with state power behind her, that is a violation of dignity.
"Everyone has inherent dignity that must be respected and protected.
"The minister carries a higher duty. The resident is there to demand a right. The minister is there to serve with professionalism and respect. You cannot answer desperation with humiliation. "
That culture of impunity did not end with apartheid ; it mutated.
"Today, people in power still insult those they serve because they have learned that consequences rarely follow. We never fully broke the system where power protects," Mailola explained.
The timing of this outburst also raises questions about how well-prepared officials are to face communities as they come out in their capacity as political parties campaigning ahead of the November 4 local elections.
Officials will be confronted by frustrated communities because of ongoing service delivery issues.
Mailola stands firm on the notion that when residents are angry about water and sanitation after years of being ignored, that anger is legitimate democratic expression.
"Officials must give it wide room. The only justification to intervene is a real threat to safety or when one person blocks others from speaking. You do not remove someone because they embarrassed you or raised their voice. That repeats the old idea that power decides how politely people must beg for rights," he said.