SEBOKENG. – The protest started on Sunday evening and continued on Monday with residents preventing taxis and cars from passing.
According to community leaders, the area has been plunged into darkness and their taps dried for months without any assistance.
Song and chant was the order of the day as residents said their protest is a sign of putting their feet down.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Solomon Peterson a resident in the area said they had approached both Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) and Eskom.
“Our area is facing issues of water and electricity supply. For almost two months now, we have been sitting in the dark and our taps have been without water.
“We tried to approach relevant stakeholders in an attempt to solve the problem but we are taken from pillar to post.”
Peterson said residents took to the streets to make a statement that it can’t be business as usual while they continue to suffer.
“We are not going to open these roads until our water and electricity is back,” he added.
Addressing the protesters, Councillor Mapitso Molepo said “I am aware of the problems and I have informed the municipality and Eskom. If they are failing us in restoring services I can only go with police and let them know that people are angry.”
ELM spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni says the municipality is aware of the water issues in Zone 11 and their team attended it to and will further work towards resolving the issue.
“Metsi-a-Lekoa water section team in Sebokeng is aware of water challenges in Zone 11 next go the clinic. The team has been investigating the network and the cause over the past few weeks with limited positive results.”
Sangweni further added that after attending to several leaks in and around the area, the team made a breakthrough and discovered a collapsed valve in the network that may be restricting supply to consumers in the affected parts of Zone 11.
“The team further uncovered that main valves needed to isolate water supply to the affected area from all of Sebokeng were vandalized and non functional. This has resulted in the delay to work on the collapsed valve in Zone 11.
“Metsi technicians have committed to replacing the collapsed valve tomorrow with the hope of resolving the Zone 11 water challenge permanently.”
Sebokeng police spokesperson Captain Teboho Lephoto says, “We can confirm that we received a complain of barricaded road at moshoeshoe in the morning. We dispatched our Pops unit to monitor the situation.”
