Angry residents bring traffic to a standstill at Solomon Mahlangu Drive
The residents went to the streets after the Municipal workers who were working at the substation called the Metro police for them.
Frustrated Nellmapius extension 22 residents, who have been without any electricity over the past five years since they received their RDP houses, barricaded Solomon Mahlangu Drive with rocks and burning tyres on Wednesday.
Solomon Mahlangu Drive is one of the main roads in and out of Mamelodi.
Protesting resident Johannes Kokela said they “peacefully” confronted municipal workers at a nearby substation to find out when where the officials were going to provide electricity to the area.
“The residents weren’t fighting,” said Kokela.
“All they wanted to know was where the cables they were installing at the substation were going and who would get power.”
According to Kokela, the workers then fled the area and “the next thing metro police were all over the area blocking the streets leading to the substation”.
Kokela said the presence of the metro police made residents angry because they were not there to fight, they “were merely there to make an enquiry about the connection of electricity in the area”.
Solomon Mahlangu Drive was barricaded for several hours causing traffic problems and preventing motorists from passing.
Motorists, taxi and truck drivers were forced to take alternative routes to avoid the standstill.
Police spokesperson Constable Lethabo Mashiloane said police were able to get the situation under control and monitored the situation on Wednesday afternoon.
“Public order policing later removed all the burning tyres and rocks with the help of other residents.
“No arrest was made during the protest.”
Meanwhile, it remains unclear who is responsible for providing electricity to the area.
The Tshwane metro says the Gauteng department is responsible while the provincial government said the metro was in charge of providing electricity.
Jordan Griffiths, chief of staff in the Tshwane mayor’s office, said the responsibility to install electricity connections to these households falls squarely with the Gauteng provincial government.
“Extension 22 is a newly developed township which falls under ward 15, region 6 of the City of Tshwane and the township was developed by Gauteng Human Settlements Department (GHSD).
“The township development scope included township establishment, construction of RDP houses, and other engineering services which include roads, water and electricity,” said Griffiths.
“This was their housing project, they budgeted for it, they availed the funds for the designs, the construction and the installation of the bulk services and they appointed the service providers who must conclude on this work and ensure that this settlement is electrified.
“The frustration of the residents is justified. They were made promises by the provincial government which has now absconded from their responsibility and is providing no feedback or attempting to engage with this community,” said Griffiths.
Stephen Selaluke
He added that the provincial government had failed to resolve those disputes and that is what is currently the cause of the delay in implementing a project to provide electricity in Nellmapius ext 22 RDP area.
“The metro’s utility services departments have previously held several meetings with community representatives and the GHSD. Meetings were held with the intention to understand delays affecting the implementation of the electrification project by the province.”
Griffiths said the metro had attempted to get the provincial government to finalise its promises to these residents.
“The provincial government has failed to do this.”
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