House-hungry protesters block Vincent Tshabalala Road in Alex
ALEXANDRA – Angry protesters blockade Vincent Tshabalala Road in Alex with rocks demanding houses from the housing department.
Motorists using Vincent Tshabalala Road previously known as London Road in Alexandra have recently found themselves trapped between the rock and a hard place following a week-long protest for houses by residents of London Road informal settlement.
This was after some residents whose shacks were destroyed by fire on 1 November took to the street and blockaded the road with rubble and rocks, demanding proper housing from the City of Johannesburg’s department of housing.
According to Johannesburg Emergency Services (EMS) spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi, two people died, including a toddler, when the fire erupted and swept across dozens of shacks in London Road informal settlement.
Motorist have accused the police of doing nothing to stop protesters from blockading the road that connects Alexandra and Sandton.
One motorist, who wanted to remain anonymous said, “I use this road every day to and from work. The road has been closed since Monday [2 November] and I have not seen even one police car here. Corlette Drive, which is an alternative, is also a nightmare because of high traffic volume.”
According to JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla, they were not aware of ongoing protests and road closure in the area.
“We were not aware that protesters have blockaded the road. We were told that people who lost their shacks during the inferno were protesting on Monday and the road was later opened. We will send our team to go and unblock the road,” Fihla said on Friday, 6 November.
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