Phomolong Section’s residents blockaded all the main streets with stones and burning tyres at 2am on October 19.
It is also believed that protesters set a building alight.
The SAPS and EMPD responded quickly to secure the Phomolong Customer Service Centre from potential vandalism.
Several rubber bullets were fired at the protesting community and two residents confirmed being struck.
“At around 4am, the Rabie Ridge SAPS was shooting at us. They shot me with a rubber bullet. It hit me on my back and I fell. The community helped me up. We didn’t provoke them, we were just singing,” said a 58-year-old protestor, Ms Mateyisi.
Mr Thomas Mabye, one of the protest leaders, said on Sunday, October 16, the community had a mass meeting and made a resolution to protest.
“This protest is a follow-up strike to our previous strike, which took place last year on November 30. Last year the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) handed a memorandum of grievances to the City of Ekurhuleni, and until today we haven’t received the municipality’s response,” said Mr Maybe.
He said as a result, the community took to the streets to voice their concerns.
“Today we want to hand over another memorandum of grievances and the main issues are credit control policy and the billing system. Both these things punish the community. It is not that we don’t want to pay the services. That is not our position as leadership,” said Mr Mabye.
He said the billing system is a big problem for the community of Phomolong.
“We have residents owing the municipality over R100 000 per house. This billing system is fraudulent and so both the billing and credit control system needs to be reviewed. There are houses that don’t have electricity at all,” Mr Mabye said.
He said the protesters demanded that those houses be switched on with immediate effect.
Mr Mabye said the protest is a warning to the Ekurhuleni Metro and if the municipality doesn’t take heed of their grievances, the community will engage in an intense service delivery strike.
“We are told that some MMC is going to receive our grievances. We will wait here until they come,” said Mr Mabye, shortly before the Tembisan went to print on Wednesday morning.
He said as SANCO leadership, they distance themselves from the blockade of roads with stones and burning tyres.
“We don’t incite violence but if the community wants to act in a way they deem fit to vent their anger, it is at their discretion. We don’t encourage violence.”
He said as leadership they did not advise the use of violence.
Shortly before going to print, the Tembisan spoke to mayoral spokesperson, Mr Zweli Dlamini, who said the executive mayor, Clr Mzwandile Masina, was on his way to Tembisa.
“We are hosting an imbizo in Tembisa today and the mayor will meet with these residents to address their grievances,” said Mr Dlamini.
Editor for the Kempton Express and The Thembisan community newspapers. I am a dedicated journalist with a passion for community journalism and the residents we serve.
