The chaotic situation in Birch Acres and Tembisa, caused by a protest action for better services, has returned to normal.
Despite the freezing conditions, hundreds of residents from Birch Acres ext 23 to 44 gathered at Birch Acres Mall. The situation took a turn for the worst when Sophia Town (a squatter camp behind the mall) residents went on the rampage, blocking Tembisa roads with rocks and setting tyres alight.
School children were turned away by law enforcement officers where the road was blocked and was forced to take other routes. Express had to park five blocks away because of all the makeshift roadblocks made of rocks, tree branches and burning tyres.
Sophia Town residents protested for electricity, sanitation, clean water and roads, while Birch Acres residents were upset about land, which was zoned for building a school, was sold for commercial use. They also want to be policed by Norkem Park SAPS and not the new Tembisa South Police Station, and want a nearby clinic.
The protesters were noisy and chanted when Khosi Twala, MMC for health and social development. spoke to them but community leaders calmed them down.
One Birch Acres resident, Thabo Mbujane, said: “We pay suburb rates and then we are sent to Tembisa Clinic and our children have to go to schools in Tembisa. If this is so, then we have to pay rates for Tembisa and not the suburb rates. We want a school, clinic and our own police.”
The crowd dispersed around 11am after they had handed over their memorandum.
Member of the mayoral committee, Clr Makhosazana Maluleka, met with the Sophia town residents and received a memorandum,” mayoral spokesman, Zweli Dlamini said.
The residents had demanded electricity and flushing toilets.
“The municipality will respond to the community’s demands within 14 days,” said Dlamini.
“We are happy that the protest has been brought to a halt,” said Dlamini.
“The demand to have the school in the area of Birch Acres will be escalated to the provincial department of education,” said Dlamini.
Twelve people were arrested for public violence during the service delivery protest, said metro police spokesman, Chief Supt Wilfred Kgasago.
