The protesters who started the service delivery protest on Sunday evening barricaded streets around the area with burning tyres and rocks while action was more visible at corner Toyi-Toyi and Xhosa streets on Monday morning.
There was also a high presence of EMPD officers who were called to the scene to calm the situation.
Resident Maria Mphuthi explains that on March 15, they had conducted a march to deliver a memorandum at the Tsakane Customer Care Centre (CCC).
“We handed over our memorandum to Clr Bernard Nikane, who was sent through by the mayor’s office, and our agreement was that government officials would have seven days to respond to our grievances. However, since then nothing has transpired.
“In the letter we wrote about the housing crisis as currently we have no proper houses despite having applied for RDP houses years ago, being unhappy about where we are living now, having no water, no streets, asking for people living in informal settlements to be allocated to proper areas that are serviced and we mentioned our concerns about sanitation as areas have no toilets,” she says.
Another local, Victor Lukhele shares that these issues have been a problem since 2004. However, they have received no help, which is why they started the marches three years ago.
“We want the mayor to engage with us himself as our councillors and his officials have failed us.
“People are now angry and are protesting because our government only understands a language of violence and we have closed off the streets to highlight our problems,” says Lukhele.
Community member Zolile Ngxangani tells the African Reporter that information they have been given, is that an MEC will be present to address them on Wednesday morning, at the Tsakane CCC, but adds that they don’t believe that this person will come, as this promise has been made before.
“The protest might end for now, but on Wednesday if there is no way forward we will continue with our protest,” he says.
Some of the residents have emphasised that if they don’t get a response on Wednesday they will take action, while others have threatened that they will make sure that no IEC registrations and voting for local government elections take place in this area.
Mayoral spokesperson Zweli Dlamini confirms that a memorandum was received by Clr Bernard Nikane from the community regarding service delivery issues and that it is currently being dealt with through the correct processes.
“A public meeting has been organised for Wednesday with the community, though details of it have not yet been confirmed and at this stage it has not been finalised who will be going to address the residents,” he says.
