Peaceful service delivery demonstration planned
THE PHOENIX Civic Movement is to host a peaceful solidarity march on Saturday to raise awareness of the service delivery issues faced by the community.
The march will take place at Central Park in Phoenix.
Spokesperson Ashan Baboolall, said residents were up in arms about unreliable and erratic service delivery in the area.
Baboolall said: “Our people are angry and frustrated over the number of escalating issues they are forced to endure, such as power outages, unscheduled water interruptions, household refuse removal not being collected as scheduled, raw sewage flowing into our streets, uncut verges, neglected pathways and play lots, potholes, dysfunctional street lights and illegal dumping by residents and businesses.”
Baboolall said the above challenges were making Phoenix look like a squatter camp instead of a township, and that as a result the area had seen a sharp increase in crime and the police had been overburdened.
Baboolall said the movement also strongly objected to the proposed National Energy Regulator of SA increase of 18.65% on electricity tariffs, and that there was an online petition in this regard currently circulating on social media. The movement encouraged all residents to sign the petition in an act of solidarity to show that they objected to the tariff hike.
“A large percentage of the Phoenix community are in the lower income bracket and will not be able to afford increased electricity bills. Many are already in arrears. This is also due to the municipality being in contravention of its own legislation, as it estimates electricity usage for more than three months at a time. This system of billing has created food poverty and lowered standards of living beyond measure. We cannot afford the illegal ongoing estimates,” said Baboolall.
The movement stressed the impact of Covid-19 on the community, which had led to many families losing their breadwinners.
Since its inception in January 2022, the movement had enjoyed both successes and challenges, which had given them opportunities to grow and sharpen their skills for how they could better help and serve the community.
“We realise that we cannot operate in isolation. It is for this very reason that we have ratepayer and civic organisations affiliated to the Phoenix Civic Movement. Together, we are the first organisation to be established to address the community’s needs holistically in a transparent and inclusive manner.”
Baboolall said that at times like these ward councillors had a pivotal role to play in engaging with their constituencies to see how they could best assist in creating employment in the areas for which they were responsible. Councillors also had a duty to share information about how some of the hardships of those living in their constituencies could be alleviated. Instead, it had fallen to ratepayer associations, civic groups and religious institutions to step in and fill the gap left by councillors.
“Constituents have to endure rude, unprofessional behaviour and shocking text messages victimising them. Their pleas have fallen on deaf ears. The councillors have also failed to call regular community meetings to disclose their annual budgets and plans for how said budgets are to be used,” said Baboolall.
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