Frustrated residents barricade road

Resident Unathi Dike said the community organised the protest after several failed attempts to arrange a meeting with ward councillor Zameka Kodwa-Jagula.

“She’s been making promises from as far as we can remember that we will get electricity but its been more than five years and we have been living like vagrants with no electricity,” said Dike.

“I’ve been living in this community for 18 years and we are surrounded by developing townships, but there’s no progress in Bagdad, Kingston and Kanana.

“We have to travel far to get to communal taps and we don’t even have toilets. We’ve been voting but there’s no service delivery.”

Asanda Soyamba said residents had stepped back after police threw tear gas at them.

“It was a joint initiative by the entire community. Even the children took part as we are all frustrated living like this,” she said.

Siyabonga France said crime was rife and their children lived in fear when darkness fell.

Police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said: “The police reached an agreement with the community that they would wait for the councillor to address them on Sunday as she promised, and should she not honour the arrangement, the community would consult the police and not cause chaos in the street.” No arrests had been made. Ward 14 councillor Kodwa-Jagula hung up on the Daily Dispatch three times when she was asked to comment on the matter. —