As part of the metro’s plan of action to address the City’s electricity crisis, law enforcers and municipal workers were on July 28 deployed in Reiger Park to remove all the illegal electricity connections.
They removed the electricity connections into the Joe Slovo and Kalamazoo informal settlements, but this anti-power theft operation was met with protests by residents who were angered by the disconnections of their illicit power supply connections.
Angry members of the community told the Advertiser that they watched as the operation unfolded, on Tuesday morning, but after being left without power and provoked by the police, they took to the streets to express their frustrations.
Despite a heavy police presence, protesters barricaded Leon Ferreira Drive and St Anthony’s Road, preventing vehicles from entering and leaving the area.
They subsequently clashed with the police who reportedly fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
A group of protesters also reportedly attempted to set alight the clubhouse at the Reiger Park Sports Arena, but the police managed to contain the situation. At that time, others had already forced opened the doors and started to help themselves to some of the contents, before being stopped by the metro police who retrieved some of the items stolen from the clubhouse in the informal settlement.
The targeted items in the clubhouse included gym equipment, furniture, electric appliances including a stove, utensils, and other goods.
Demonstrators regrouped and then moved to the busy Commissioner Street, where they blockaded the road with objects, but members of the SAPS and EMPD managed to quickly disperse them. Despite the police efforts, the agitated crowd returned to St Anthony’s Road and intensified their protest in the area until the evening.
Broken Promises and unmet plans
Disgruntled residents of Joe Slovo informal settlement and Kalamazoo said they are sick and tired of waiting for what they call empty promises made by the ANC-led municipality.
Members of the impoverished community stated that they are aware that it is illegal to steal electricity and that the live cables and wires running on the ground are posing a danger to residents, especially young children, but they have no choice. They cast blame on poor service delivery, with many saying that a lack of development was the reason for these illicit connections.
According to the protesters, government had, among other things, promised to re-block and electrify their areas, but for all these years they haven’t seen any positive move towards addressing their issues.
“What can we do if we need electricity because we have been waiting for about 25 years now, the government had all the years been making empty promises. Look, our patience had worn out waiting for government to come and deliver on its promises and improve the devastating living conditions in our congested settlements,” said Vuyani Makhaza.
Many residents of the two informal settlements complained that they have been staying in their respective areas for a long time. They have had many meetings with authorities and several memorandums were handed over during previous protests and meetings, but it has come to a point where they feel that no one is taking them seriously as nothing has changed so far.
“We are pleading with government to provide us with prepaid electricity so we can stop using illegally connected power, and start paying for legally connected electricity. We also want electricity and we are willing to pay for it,” said residents.
According to Sibhekile Mkhonza of Kalamazoo, they watched as the team removed their wires, but police provoked them when they allegedly started to fire rubber bullets at them. “We have had many meetings requesting that our area be re-blocked and electrified because people here can afford to buy their own electricity. Instead they constantly send out police to shoot us with rubber bullets. We say enough is enough!? shouted Mkhonza.
Meanwhile Nkululeko Ndlela, of Kalamazoo said they feel that they are being systematically neglected by local authorities. “We are not fighting against the removing of illegal connections, and that’s why we didn’t stop them from removing the wires. But the reason we are protesting is that we too also want better services, and we are sick and tired of these unbearable living conditions in our current homes.
What we are asking is: Mr Mayor you promised us electricity, where is our electricity? MMC Lesiba Mpya you promised us re-blocking, where is the re-blocking right now?
On December 5, 2018, the same community took to the streets to protest against the long wait for basic services, including electricity. The clubhouse at the Reiger Park Sports Arena was burnt down during the protest.
Tensions among community members
In our recent report on the ongoing electricity theft in the City, frustrated residents of Reiger Park called upon the municipal officials to urgently deal with the electricity crisis in their township, before residents take matters into their own hands.
Legal and paying customers in the area, including their Ward 34 Clr Charlie Crawford, said as a result of the growing illicit connections, they have been experiencing overloading in the area, which results in the power infrastructure blowing up. The complaining residents also expressed their shock that the brazen electricity thieves have gone as far as to steal electricity from municipal-owned property, including the Reiger Park Civic Centre and the stadium.
Residents of Reiger Park previously held a number of protest against the then constant power outages caused by cable and electricity theft in the area, and also engaged in war with the residents of Joe Slovo informal settlement over theft of electricity in the township.
The councillor reiterated that part of the problem is that the City of Ekurhuleni has broken its promise to electrify all informal settlements in the City.
Citywide problem
The City of Ekurhuleni has faced various power outages in recent months, which it attributed to various problems, including illegal connections, meter bypass and cable theft. The metro said it is losing millions of rand per year due to power theft and vandalism of its infrastructure.
Looting and vandalism of clubhouse is a double blow for players
The chairperson of East Rand United, Marius de Vos, is devastated by the looting and ‘extensive’ damages caused to the recently refurbished clubhouse. He said the attack came as a double blow to the players who, due to Covid-19 regulations, cannot play and now they have incurred losses as a result of poor governance.
“Protesters previously vented their anger on the clubhouse, and almost a million was spent to refurbish it. Most of the stolen apparatus and furniture were recently replaced through sponsorship, but today we are back to square one as the facility has again become subject to attack by protesters,” explained de Vos.
The chairperson is calling on the mayor to urgently intensify protection of the facility against attacks, and also act speedily to the issues which have led to the repeated attacks on the council-owned sports facility.
“The mayor has in council meeting gone on record as saying the informal settlements would be re-blocked and connected to the power grid, but to date nothing has been done. The failure to deliver on those promises has led to these problems where disgruntled people launch direct attacks on council-owned facilities,” said de Vos.
The chairperson reminded the involved residents that resorting to violent behaviour is not a solution. “Destroying public amenities only renders communities worse off, as it further disadvantages the youth in their pursuit to a career in sport.”
The Advertiser is still awaiting the metro’s comment on the plight of the informal settlements dwellers.
Also Read: Reiger Park school, church torched in power protest
Also Read:Watch: Protesting Joe Slovo community tired of lack of services
Also Read: Reiger Park on tenterhooks over ongoing electricity theft
VIEW GALLERY:
