Traffic nightmare in Newlands
Protest action is expected to flare up again during peak traffic.
Traffic along Ontdekkers Road in Newlands was severely disrupted today as protest action flared up sporadically throughout the day.
Protesters blocked Ontdekkers Road at the intersection of 13th Street and Plateau Drive from just after 06:00 this morning, September 3. Police intervened periodically to clear makeshift barriers made up of burning tyres and tree branches.
When the Roodepoort Record visited the scene, officers from Sophiatown Police Station, JMPD, and Public Order Policing units were clearing the latest blockages, while protesters vowed to rebuild them at the first opportunity.
At one stage, a member of the Gauteng Legislature attempted to reason with the crowd, but with little effect.
The protest, now in its second day, stems from ongoing water disruptions in Claremont, Sophiatown, and Westbury. Residents told the Record that while water pressure in parts of Plateau Drive was very low, supply at a residential complex on the corner of Ontdekkers Road and Plateau Drive had completely run dry.
Reports also suggest taps across Claremont have been without water. The Record has previously covered the area’s ongoing water woes.
One police officer at the scene said authorities were preparing for intensified protest action during peak traffic.
