Protest action erupts in Kya Sand as some businesses decide to close shop

In the early hours of 14 June community members from informal settlements in Kya Sand, Selowa pipeline, Thabo Mbeki and Lion Park gathered to protest against poor service delivery, as burning tyres and rocks blocked roads on Bernie Street at River Road in Kya Sand. 

Human rights activist, a researcher for Kya Sand informal settlement and resident of Selowa informal settlement,  Pumelele Nyauza Nongwevu, said their protest action is to vent their frustrations on what they called, “Poor basic service delivery by City of Johannesburg in informal settlements around Kya Sand.”

He said, “We are not satisfied with the way the City of Johannesburg is treating us as the poor people living in informal settlements, that’s why we decided to take to the streets because the regional directors, the councillors and the mayor of the City of Johannesburg [Herman Mashaba] and his team are failing the people in informal settlements. ”

Nayuza stated that in the informal settlements, “We need houses, we need toilets, there is no rubbish collection and we need clean running water. ”

Luyanda Mfeka, communications director of the City of Joburg said, “The City has not received any complaints from the community nor has it received information about the protest and cannot comment further.”

As early as 3am, the protesters were burning tyres and blocking roads on the corners of Spebona and  Main, Bernie Street and River Road. Metro Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said, ” We are aware of the community protest, we advise for motorists to use alternative routes such as Beyers Naudé Drive or the N14 to get to and from Lanseria because parts of Malibongwe Drive is still affected by the protest action. ”

The Metro police with the Honeydew police are still monitoring the situation as the protest action is still ongoing with some businesses deciding to close shop.

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