Watch all the action: ‘We want houses, service delivery!’

In a desperate attempt to get the metro to listen to them, scores of Makause informal settlement residents converged on the Germiston Civic Centre, on Tuesday morning.

What was supposed to be a peaceful service delivery march to hand over a memorandum of demands to the mayor, Clr Mondli Gungubele, turned violent before it had even begun, with residents burning tyres and throwing stones at motorists, as well as at those who live in the settlement who wanted to go to work.

Community leaders, however, quickly put a stop to the throwing of stones.

The tyres were burnt outside the settlement, while people were gathering, but this was also quickly dealt with by the Primrose SAPS, and the march then set off.

Sgt Styles Maome, the communications officer for the Primrose SAPS, told the GCN that about 10 000 disgruntled residents set out for the civic centre.

The air was filled with chanting and singing as the protestors waited to hand over their memorandum.

The residents, led by the chairman of Makause, Jomo Ngwenya and Phillip Makhubela, one of the settlement’s leaders, were all peaceful.

Makhubela handed over the memorandum to Ndosi Shongwe, a representative of the mayor, and she accepted it before addressing the crowd.

Makhubela listed some of the demands, to much applause and agreement from the residents.

Some of the demands are:

• Their own piece of land.
• All shacks must be torn down and proper houses built for the people.
• Clean drinking water must be available to them in their houses, not in the street.
• Electricity in all houses.
• Support, financial and social, from the metro.
• Amenities for residents.

“Another thing is that the metro does not recognise the community leaders of Makause as leaders, they only see us as security guards,” Makhubela added.

“We no longer know what to do to get the mayor to listen to us, so that is why we have come here today – to make him listen.”

Ward 21 councillor Tania Campbell told the GCN that she has had the housing issue on her IDP (integrated development plan) for a decade, as a top priority, but the metro keeps giving her the run-around.

“The leaders of Makause and I have, on numerous occasions, met with various council departments regarding non-service delivery in the area,” she said.

“I have handed in petitions regarding solid waste, toilets, housing and water to the council, but all this falls on deaf ears.

“The buck stops with the mayor.

“He should ensure that progressive measures are put in place.

“An informal settlement plan has been drawn up; however, no implementation of this plan takes place.”

Campbell added that she understands and agrees with the frustrations of the community, because she has those same frustrations as a ward councillor.

“I believe that this will not be the first or the last protest that we see, as the mayor and city manager are not performing and this is clear as we see more and more squalor within communities.

“I confirm that I was informed that there would be a march, however, I and the DA do not condone any violence or damage to council-owned or private property.”

After handing over the memorandum the residents left peacefully and made their way home.

Maome said there were no incidents of looting or trouble as the marchers dispersed.

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Makause residents take to the streets in service delivery protest