Davidsonville community protest over poor service delivery
The community says they have been plagued by frequent power outages, a 10 year water outage and potholes.
Residents of Davidsonville Ward 71 took to the streets on Wednesday, June 18, to protest over poor service delivery in the area.
The community has been plagued by frequent power outages, 10 years of water shortages and potholes, leaving the residents feeling frustrated and neglected.
The protesters burnt tyres and closed Iridium and Van Wyk streets, demanding better services from the City of Johannesburg.
According to resident Brian Peterson, the power outages started in 2023, and every week electricity can be off for about two to three days.
“The power outages are a regular occurrence affecting our daily lives. City Power always tells us that it’s a trip from one of the substations feeding the area, but why can’t they fix it?
“We have raised this issue with our ward councillor, but nothing has been done.”
Also read: Ghost Town residents plagued by inconsistent water supply
“We need a reliable electricity supply for our homes and schools,” he said.
Interestingly, the residents have noticed a pattern: whenever they protest, the electricity seems to come back on, only to trip again after some time. “It’s like they’re just trying to placate us.”
“We want a permanent solution, not just a temporary fix,” said Peterson.
The residents also mentioned that Ghost Town has been battling with an inconsistent water supply for 10 years, which, according to Johannesburg Water (JW), is caused by a high water demand, and the supply pipeline, which is 75 mm, will have to be augmented.
Byron Theron spoke to the Roodepoort Record and mentioned that in Ghost Town flats they have to wake up early in the morning to collect water, but during the day, the pressure is low to non-existent.
Theron says they have no JoJo tanks or water trucks that are providing relief to this situation.
“We have reached out to JW repeatedly, but our cries have fallen on deaf ears, and we are always told a different story.”
“The potholes on our roads are a hazard, and the water issues are a health concern. We can’t continue to live like this. We demand better from our leaders,” said Theron.
Questions have been sent to City Power. Johannesburg Roads Agency as well as JW, and a detailed update will be done once answers are received.
