Illegal elements allegedly fuel protests

DESTRUCTION paved Varsity Road and Madras Road, near the UKZN Westville Campus, as residents of an informal settlement, Banana City, protested violently, yesterday.

The service delivery protesting escalated as the residents blocked Varsity Road with burning branches and tyres. It was also reported that the protestors threw stones at vehicles and the police. Mariannhill Police and Public Order Policing Durban dispersed the protestors with rubber bullets and a water cannon.

Subsequently, the protestors relocated to Madras Road where they blocked off the road leading towards the informal settlement. They burned another tyre and continued to dance and chant.

According to Brenton Mangli, a resident who works in the area, the residents began protesting yesterday morning at approximately 12.30am. This incident follows the residents’ service delivery protest on Monday 17 February, during which they also blocked Varsity Drive with burning tyres, causing a massive traffic jam.

One of the protestors, Mthobisi Nsindane, told the Highway Mail that they are protesting in the hopes of receiving basic facilities, such as running water, electricity, proper sanitation, roads and housing. “We are angry, because the municipality had made promises to deliver electricity to us in seven days, but nobody has come again. Only some of us have been provided with electricity. Most of us live in shacks and there are only two taps to provide the people with water,” said Nsindane.

Sipho Mthethwa, the liaison officer for the office of the mayor, addressed the protestors regarding their demands. “A report was submitted on the day of the protest regarding the demands and we forwarded those to the municipal manager. He responded with a directive to the various departments and they have provided us with reports to say where they are with those demands,” said Mthethwa.

He also placed some blame on the community representatives saying that they have on occasion failed to provide accurate feedback to the community. “For example, there was a misunderstanding within the community that the housing department would come back and build houses in January, when this in fact was not the case. It takes a minimum of 18 months to package the project’,” said Mthethwa. “Some residents within the community were hell-bent on going back into protesting on the roads saying that the municipality had not come to them. When in fact we had been in negotiations and constant communication with their leadership,” said Mthethwa.

He also reported that people were selling sites illegally within the informal settlement, so the number of sites had “ballooned” from 105 to 400 sites, facilitating the problems the municipality faces in providing the residents with the facilities.

According to Mthethwa they suspect that the individuals selling the sites illegally may have “hijacked the communication process to destabilise the community”, to prevent any progress, as it would expose their illegal activities.

Mthethwa reported that they had only promised to a meeting within the seven days and had informed the community leaders that they could not conduct the meeting, as they had not finalised the feedback with the departments, but the leaders failed to update the community.

The community leaders have agreed to allow the municipality to complete the due processes. A meeting has been scheduled for Saturday morning during which the leaders will be updated on the progress.

No injuries or arrests were reported.