Residents want houses and proper sanitation
Residents march to Union Buildings.
About 600 residents of the Winnie Mandela Informal Settlement, L N J and Sophia Town informal settlements marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday last week.
The residents demanded houses and proper sanitation.
The march was organised by the Ekurhuleni Concerned Residents Association (ECRA), led by Mr Tsietsi Kukame.
The residents said they wanted President Jacob Zuma to receive their memorandum and intervene in their grievances.
They also said they feel ignored by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
On arriving at the Union Buildings, community leaders from the three informal settlements read their memorandums, which outlined their grievances about poor service delivery from the government.
The Winnie Mandela Informal Settlement community leader, Mr Kukame, said the ECRA has tried to engage with the three spears of the government, but no one listen to them.
“We are trying to fight for the rights of our people but we feel the government should meet us half way. They should help these poor people who still struggle to get their RDP houses, which were occupied by rich people. Most of the residents do not have proper sanitation, electricity and roads,” he said.
Mr Kukame added that they demand government intervention in the matter of housing allocation in Tembisa, among the many grievances.
Meanwhile L N J community leader, Mr Alfred Moagi, said they hope the Presidency will follow the principles of Batho Pele, and act on their demands.
The three memorandums were received by the Presidency Liaison Officer, Mr Melisizwe Bleki, who acknowledge receipt of the memorandums.
The residents gave the Office of the Presidency 14 to respond.
