R55 traffic free-flowing again after morning protest

Traffic has returned to normalcy on the R55 and Marais Road following protest action, which broke out earlier in the day to highlight the frustration of Heuweloord residents over frequent power outages.

The residents of Heuweloord flocked to the intersections this morning, burning tyres and leaving debris on the roadway which brought traffic to a standstill.

The angry residents took to the streets to voice their concerns as they have been experiencing frequent power outages that have taken a toll on their daily lives.

Police spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk said the protest broke out around 06:00 with protesters burning tyres and other debris on the road.

He said police travelled to the scene when they became aware of the incident.

“The ward councillor was also on-site to address the protesters,” he said.

By around 09:00 the situation was under control with the road open again and traffic flowing.

Ward 48 Councillor Themba Fosi confirmed that the cause of the protest was indeed because of the multiple power outages that have been plaguing Heuweloord.

“Residents have experienced outages three times in the last seven days.”

Fosi attributed the outages to both cable theft and load-shedding.

“Load-shedding has contributed to the outages, as this also creates more damage on our weak joints and sporadic trips on the substations.

Whenever there’s no power due to load-shedding, thefts often occur,” he said.

He highlighted the need for the metro to improve its response time to outages to meet its service level agreements (SLAs).

He also called for better protection of infrastructure, re-routing of cables, and investment in technology like thermal imaging cameras and motion detectors to curb the cable theft that is contributing to the frequent power cuts.

Just last week, on February 20, residents and businesses of Heuweloord suffered a power outage that lasted more than 12 hours.

Fahra Yacob, a business owner who runs a food shop and car wash in the area, confirmed they experienced two more power outages last week.

She said one of the outages lasted about 20 hours while the other lasted 7 hours.

“The power outages are caused by cable theft in the area,” Yacob said.

She described the impact on her operations as immense.

“It’s really difficult to run a business like this. No power means no customers, and it’s a struggle to keep the food fresh.”

For residents like David Mokoena, the power outages have disrupted their daily routine.

Mokoena shared how the outages have disrupted his family’s mornings.

“It’s difficult to get everyone ready for school and work without power. No hot water, no breakfast, and the kids can’t even iron their uniforms.”

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