Uthingo Park residents protesting again

Three suspects have been arrested after clashes between Uthingo Park residents and security guards.

Problems between some residents of Uthingo Parks and Emalahleni Housing Company (EHC) has been going on for a long time now. Cars and buildings including offices have been burned in the past.

In a recent incident on Friday, July 5 it was reported that security guards were seen beating residents resulting to the arrest of the three.

As recent as in June 11 the residents of Uthingo Park were on the streets marching saying that they will not stop until their demands are heard and met by the municipality.

They handed in a memorandum to the municipality.

The residents of Uthingo Park want to be under the management of the municipality not under Emalahleni Housing Company (EHC).

They want their grievances to be addressed by the president of the country.

Late in January this year again the residents were on the streets protesting and blocking the entrance to the place.

They were demanding that the Chief Executive Officer of EHC, Mr George Xaba and his management team resign.

They also complained of poor service delivery and stated that they want to be controlled by the local municipality.

In November last year they were protesting about the same issues and there have been other several protests in the past.

They claimed that they have engaged with the Human Settlement Department, president office, local municipality, office of the executive mayor, Department of Co-operatives Governance and Traditional Affairs and nobody wants to listen to them.

They say they were tired of saying the same things over and over again.

Ms Rose Chetty, general manager of business and community development of EHC said that in May 21 this year EHC issued a list comprising of tenants at Uthingo Park who had breached their electricity with illegal connections.

Tenants were given a week to come forward for EHC to rectify the situation and to make payment arrangements and according to Ms Chetty the tenants failed to come forward and their electricity was switched off.

Subsequently EHC had a meeting with the executive mayor where the leadership of the residents was present and where it was resolved that tenants who illegally connected electricity should come forward and make payment arrangements with EHC.

It is said that a lot of tenants have come forward and their electricity have been restored.

“The rental tribunal started their processes of mediation on June 25. Tenants who are not paying rental were informed in advance to come forward and some of them did not appear for the hearing deliberately. The rental tribunal therefore issued an order which was delivered on July 4 giving tenants 14 days to come forward and make payment arrangements,” explained Ms Chetty.

On the protest action she said that on Friday security was called in as the group of protestors barricaded the entrances with the aim of preventing other tenants from going to work.

She said that it is the security officers’ job to protect innocent tenants as they were attacked by the protestors at the gate who refused to remove burning tyres.

She also said that one of the protestors attempted to disarm a security officer.

“EHC wishes to raise a concern that the unlawful conduct of residents that is getting attention from the media promotes anarchy and lawlessness. Two security guards were shot two weeks ago by the very same residents and they are currently in hospital fighting for their lives. The following damages have been incurred at Uthingo Park: Electrical kiosks burnt, mini substation vandalised, main substation vandalised, guard house burnt, illegal electricity connections, electricity cables have been destroyed so that paying tenants do not have electricity, cables to street lights have been cut, boom gates and CCTV cameras destroyed, empty units have been broken into and unknown people allocated to stay in them,” added Ms Chetty.

Police are investigating alleged acts of brutality by members of a private security company.

The alleged brutality, captured on video, which is currently doing the rounds on social media, reportedly took place during a physical engagement between the guards and members of the community, who were reportedly protesting.

They were burning tyres in the process when the guards moved in.

Information at police disposal suggested that a member of the community allegedly wanted to disarm a security guard of his firearm, leading to a squabble whereupon the guard’s colleagues came to his assistance and in the process administered excessive force on the individual.

The victim is seen on the video being pressed down and beaten up.

The latter opened an assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm case.

“Police management in the province indicated that while acknowledging and appreciating the role played by the private security industry in the fight against crime, however warned that the use of excessive force that is disproportionate to a threat, amounts to brutality and is punishable by law. The management went on to say that not even the police are allowed to use disproportionate force under any circumstance. On the same note, the police management cautioned security companies to contact the police should there be public disturbances caused by the community because they (police) are trained to deal with such circumstances. An appeal has also been advanced to the community of Uthingo Park to be calm and advocate for the use of applicable communication processes and dialogue in solving their problems. Spiralling from the video incident, police have moved swiftly and arrested the three suspects and they have appeared at Witbank Magistrate’s Court on Monday, July 8 facing an assault charge,” said Brigadier Leonard Hlathi.

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