‘Can someone please listen to our cries’
Hundreds take to streets to protest for basic services
The anger in Matefu Motenya’s voice is mirrored in the frustrations expressed by many Ramaphosa informal settlement residents.
Motenya, 80, has been waiting for a house for 24 years.
She lives in a one-room shack at the informal settlement near Reiger Park in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni.
She has never owned a set of television and a radio because she does not have electricity.
On Wednesday, she sat at her home watching as neighbours burnt tyres demanding service delivery in their area.
Motenya said she has lost all hope that she will one day own a home she always dreamt of.
“I don’t want to die staying in a shack. I understand why everyone is angry here because we don’t have basic service delivery. What hurts the most is that every time politicians are looking for our votes, they come here and make empty promises,” she said.
“I was among the first people to register for a house when Nelson Mandela was still a president but I am still staying in a shack. I have to ask the neighbours to bring me water from the communal tap. Can someone please listen to our cries.”
More than 500 people like her took to the streets on Wednesday to voice their frustrations.
The protest turned violent when the police used teargas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. This happened after a truck transporting wood was set alight. Shops owned by foreigners were also closed to avoid being looted.
One of the community members, Mjabulelani Magwaza, said residents were tired of empty promises.
“In this area we don’t have water, electricity and toilets. Our children’s lives are in danger because of illegal connections. Electric cables are lying on the same street where sewage is freely flowing.”
Another resident, June Geswindt, said it was not safe for women and children in the area. “Criminals are using the darkness to their advantage. I was robbed twice on my way to work because I have to leave in the early hours of the morning when it is still dark. Government should start treating us like human beings. We can’t even enjoy our meals in peace because the smell is unbearable,” Geswindt said.
Captain Kay Makhubele said no one has been arrested.
Ekurhuleni municipality had not responded to requests for comment at the time of going to print.