Top stories in Pretoria West
Here’s a look at some stories that made the headlines this year.
Pretoria West residents witnessed a rollercoaster of events in 2024, with some stories sparking outrage and others, hope.
Here are the top stories that made headlines:
Mixed reactions to Tshwane Ya Tima Drive
The Tshwane Ya Tima campaign, led by former mayor Cilliers Brink in March, sparked a mixed bag of reactions from West residents.
The initiative aimed to tackle outstanding debt by cutting off electricity and water services to clients who hadn’t paid up .
While some locals applauded the effort to get the metro’s finances back on track, others weren’t too happy pointing out issues with estimated billing and corruption.
Gomora residents protest over electricity woes
In May, Gomora informal settlement residents embarked on a week-long protest after the Tshwane Ya Tima campaign removed illegal electricity connections, leaving most residents without power.
The metro, TMPD and partners conducted the operation at the settlement on May 6 and 7 that left the majority of residents in the dark.
The community blamed the metro for delayed service delivery, while others criticised the illegal connections.
Community demands priority for local hospital jobs
Ward 60 residents, along with the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco), marched to the Pretoria West District Hospital, demanding priority hiring practices for local residents.
The hospital was accused of hiring general workers from other cities and provinces.
Locals also blamed Ward 60 councillor Mpati Ramphile, saying that since his appointment, the relationship between the hospital and the community has deteriorated.
Acting hospital CEO Dr Sizeka Maweya received the memorandums from both Sanco and the ward 60 residents.
He didn’t comment on the allegations against the councillor, but assured residents of a response within the allocated timeline.
“We appreciate you all coming forward, you’ve given us seven days to respond and you can be assured we will respond within that period.
We also appreciate emphasising the issue of peace because this is our community, and the hospital is in our community, so we really appreciate keeping this peaceful.”
Illegal Peanut Butter Factory Raided
In August, environmental health practitioners, police and the Tshwane Metro Police Department raided an illegal peanut butter factory in Zandfontein.
The inspections uncovered illegal food premises making peanut butter without the necessary Certificate of Acceptability.
The illegal premises were fined R15 000 and prohibited from operating until requirements were met.
The Tshwane health department emphasised the vital role of environmental health practitioners in ensuring food safety.
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