They are demanding housing, while also bemoaning the lack of infrastructure development and poor maintenance of basic amenities such as roads and electricity.
Residents want government to build RDP houses, schools, a library, a community hall, recreation centres and to maintain the existing amenities.
Protesters barricaded part of Elsburg Road and other streets leading to Ramaphosa and Reiger Park, with burning tyres, rubbles, tree branches and pipes.
“We decided to take our grievances to the streets because there is still no development in our area, despite having voted many times,” said one of the residents Siyabulela Mgijima
Angelina Ranto (in a red T-shirt) said she applied for an RDP house many times but she is still waiting for her new home for more than two decades. She is seen with her long-time friend who has also been living in a shack in Ramaphosa for years.
Mgijima said what hurts them the most is that Ramaphosa is not being developed while developments are happening in other areas next to their township.
“Schools, a library, community halls, sport facilities, tarred roads and other services are the order of the day in Reiger Park but not Ramaphosa.
“We don’t even have sport facilities to keep young people off the streets which are infested with drugs.”
Meanwhile a 67-year-old resident of Ramaphosa, Angelina Ranto, told the Advertiser she applied for an RDP house many times and, like so many other residents, she has been waiting for more than two decades.
“I have been staying in a shack since 1997 and I’m still waiting for an RDP house,” she said.
The elderly women’s sentiments were echoed by a number of both young and elderly residents, who have been living in the Ramaphosa for years.
Community leaders were on Wednesday morning still waiting for municipal officials to come and accept their memorandum of demands.
No injuries or violent incidents were reported and SAPS and EMPD officers were on the scene monitoring the protesters. -@FanieFLK
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Protest action this morning in Reiger Park, Ramaphosa
