Promise of service delivery keeps protestors off the streets

On Wednesday a planned march to Umjindi Local Municipality by residents of Msholozi Section in Emjindini, was called off.

The march was planned to deliver a memorandum which demands electricity in their area.

The residents said they were fed up of living without electricity.“We buy non-perishable food everyday. We can’t buy food in bulk, especially meat, because we don’t have fridges in which to store it. If we can’t have electricity, we are going to boycott next year’s local government elections,” said one resident.

On Tuesday the Msholozi Community Forum (MCF) met with Umjindi authorities. During this meeting it was agreed to call off the march, but furious residents of the area labelled the MCF delegation traitors and attempted to pushed ahead with their plans on Wednesday morning.

Speaking to the residents, Umjindi executive mayor, Cllr Lazaros Mashaba requested them not to march. Mashaba met the residents after they had already grouped themselves and said everything would be sorted out. They should not start protesting.

“Money has been allocated for developmental infrastructure for Msholozi. The project will start soon,” said Mashaba.

Cyorial Ndlovu, MCF convener also assured the crowd that they had another meeting with Umjindi officials and the contractor, Pule Shakoane, where everything had been discussed.

“The promise from the mayor is that by the first week of March, the contractors will start installing the electricity. For now, the march has been called off,” Ndlovu said.

The area of Msholozi was established in 2010 and most of the residents were those who had been residing at Enkanini informal settlement.
It was a low-lying, wetland area.

Umjindi Municipality found it unsuitable to be a residential area and relocated the residents to Msholozi.
Since the relocation they had been without electricity and many were making use of illegal connections.

Most residents still use illegal connections even after Umjindi Municipality officials ripped the cables out last year following the death of Siphosetfu Masango who were electrocuted.