The situation in Zandspruit Informal Settlement appeared calm this morning with residents going off to their places of work.
Roads around the informal settlement were partially reopened with police and JMPD closely monitoring the area.
Thousands of residents took it to the streets on 20 April resulting in police closing all the roads around the informal settlement.
JMPD Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the roads were closed the whole night but reopened this morning. “Officers are monitoring the area and will allow vehicles to pass when it is safe,” he said.
Residents were infuriated after City of Joburg Mayor Parks Tau did not arrive to address them. Some of the residents attempted to cause chaos overnight by burning tyres. Police however, managed to control the situation.
Read previous story: Residents say government neglected them for 22 years
The City of Joburg MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services Matshidiso Mfikoe asked residents to be patient with them as they are planning to ensure the area is electrified.
Read Previous story: Eskom to install electricity in Zandspruit
She said the City’s plan to electrify the area was still ongoing. “We are in the process of planning. After we have drafted the programme, we will arrange a public meeting with the community leaders next week,” she said.
Eskom spokesperson Khuli Phasiwe said they disconnected all the illegal connections together with City Power as per instruction from the Department of Labour (DoL).
He said the DoL have instructed them to send a report every two weeks about their progress to curb illegal connections in the area.
“We [Eskom and City Power], need to make sure that we comply or we will lose our operating licence,” he explained.
He further mentioned that the long-term plan was to electrify the settlement but only after the City of Joburg has relocated some of the residents according to their plan.
Phasiwe insisted that the transformer supplying Honeydew Plot 52, which apparently blew as some residents had illegally connected wires to it, will be replaced.
“Remember our transformers are installed based on the demand and if people fiddle with it, obviously it will blow,” he said.
He said their short-term plan was to replace the transformer to ensure that legally connected residents were not affected. “However, our technicians are threatened when they go to the area. So it takes time because there are so many risks involved there,” he concluded.
Details: City of Joburg, 011 5874390; Eskom, 011 800 3304.
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