How chaos erupted in Zandspruit

The violent protest in Zandspruit Informal Settlement developed and escalated into chaos when Eskom and City Power cut off illegal electricity connections and switched off the power grid in the area.

This is the decision which prompted residents from Honeydew Plot 52 to embark on a three-day violent protest.

The violent protest started on the evening of 15 March but escalated in the morning when aggressive protestors ransacked the Total garage, burned tyres and barricaded the road with palisades and tree branches.

Two vehicles were torched overnight, businesses at the Zandspruit Shopping Centre were looted and stocks worth millions of rand were stolen.

Police confirmed on the morning of 18 March that 12 people were arrested for malicious damage to property, burglary at business premises and public violence over the course of the protest.

Honeydew Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Karen Jacobs explained that seven police officers were injured during the violent protest.

ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring explained that four male residents, a female caregiver and a six-month-old child were also injured.

Eskom spokesperson Khuli Phasiwe said the government entity received a notice to switch off the power grid in the area as more cases of illegal connections were reported.

“We received a letter from the Department of Labour last week Friday [11 March] about the safety in the area,” said Phasiwe.

He said they started disconnecting electricity from 14 March and they would only restore power to legally-connected residents when all the stakeholders agreed that it is safe to do so.

However, on 18 March the entity indicated that it had met with members of the Mayoral Committee and a letter was sent to the Department of Labour to request the prohibition to be revoked.

One of the residents, Donation Ngobeni, said residents have not had electricity since 14 March, hence they protested.

Butchery owner, Stanley Pedro, said he lost R2.5 million worth of stock when violent protesters ransacked his shop on the evening of 16 March.

A furniture shop owner, Amos Patel, who pays R35 000 rent per month could only gather the little he could recover and left the centre. “I just bought new bicycles, all of them are gone,” he said.

On 19 March electricity was reconnected and the protest stopped.