Round-up: Makause residents demand better service delivery
Makause informal settlement residents take to the streets to demand better service delivery.
Smoke filled the air as burning tyres lay in the closed roads surrounding the Makause informal settlement last Monday during a service delivery protest.
This was not the first time that residents have voiced their displeasure about the level of service delivery from the metro; they also marched to the Germiston Civic Centre in March last year, to voice their concerns.
Services meant to be provided to Makause by the metro include: waste removal services, health services from the Wannenburg Clinic, prevention of land invasion, disaster management, grading of informal sports fields, crowd management, chemical toilets and water stand pipes.
The march, which began in the early hours of the morning, was closely monitored by members of the Primrose police and EMPD.
“Though the roads in the area were closed the protest remained peaceful for most of the morning with officers from the SAPS and EMPD monitoring the situation,” said Sgt Styles Maome, communications officer for the Primrose police.
This was until a number of residents began to loot shops within the informal settlement.
Primrose police reacted swiftly and aided shop owners in getting themselves and their stock out of the informal settlement.
The situation seemed to calm down after this but reports surfaced of unrest in Makause at 6pm.
“At 6pm, last Monday evening, residents began throwing stones at passing motorists.
“Police fired rubber bullets and teargas into the crowd to disperse community members, and order was restored to the settlement by 9pm,” said Maome.
Members of the Primrose CPF, Marlands Community Policing (MCP), Primrose Residents Against Crime (PRAC), and CPG Security were on hand to help police with road closures and monitoring the situation.
The metro responded to the day’s protest actions, assuring Makause residents that a process to reallocate them to an identified piece of land was already underway.
“The first group made up of 1 000 residents will be relocated, in July, to an identified piece of land in Germiston Extension 46 in line with the municipal schedule.
“The remaining residents will benefit from the metro’s Re-blocking Programme, which is aimed at re-configuring the current layout of informal settlements and re-organising the ground plan to optimally utilise space to promote the health, safety and well-being of households, with a focus on promoting accelerated service delivery to informal settlements,” said Themba Gadebe, spokesman for the metro.
MMC for Human Settlements Clr Lesiba Mpya visited residents to reassure them that improving the living conditions of the people of Makause is at the top of the metro’s agenda.
“The identified land in Germiston Extension 46 will be equipped with amenities such as water and a sanitation system, roads and electricity connections,” said Mpya.
The residents had wanted to speak to the executive mayor of Ekurhuleni, Clr Mzwandile Masina, but he was not available.
The metro did not respond when asked if he would be making time to speak to the residents.
Furthermore, it was noted by the GCN that the land mentioned in the statement had been earmarked for the movement of the Angelo informal settlement residents to Germiston.
The GCN asked the metro for further clarity on the matter, as well as several other issues related to the protest, but had received no comment at the time of going to press.
Articles on previous protests:
Service delivery protest rocks Primrose
Update: Shops looted during Makause informal settlement protest
Update: Metro responds to Makause informal settlement residents protest
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