A group of Soweto residents, led by Operation Dudula Movement leader Nhlanhla Lux, marched to Johannesburg Mayor Cllr Mpho Phalatse’s office on Tuesday. They handed over a memorandum of demands, which sought resolution to the township’s electricity challenges.
The march took place on day two of the #SowetoShutdown protest. Angry residents blocked roads with stones and burning tyres. They gathered at Maponya Mall before heading to Braamfontein.
The disgruntlement stems from a longstanding standoff between residents and Eskom. The power utility seeks to rake in unpaid debt worth more than R5 billion. It has frequently disconnected power to a number of defaulting homes. However, residents complained that they are unable to keep up with soaring inflation.
Lux said that residents have put up with a lack of leadership for a while, adding that the Mayor should be a part of the solution.
“The purpose of this particular march is reminding politicians that the time for politics to use and abuse our people is over. People have woken up and realised that there’s no use in breaking infrastructure and taking to the streets whenever we have a problem,” he said.
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Grievances
Lux explained that the purpose of march to the Mayor’s office was to present a list of grievances, over-and-above the issue of power cuts. He said Soweto residents wish to be treated like “the rest of South Africa”.
“It’s basic service delivery,” he said, adding that “the people of Soweto are not asking for more than what is prescribed. We are asking for the same treatment that the rest of South Africa in certain areas is getting.”
“I’m saying that the basics in terms of what the Constitution says… we are not asking for more. We’re just saying water and sanitation, we’re saying housing, we’re saying electricity, we’re saying safety for our gogos in our communities,” said Lux.
Lux said that violence should no longer be tolerated and called for an effective justice system that he believed could eradicate drugs.
“Every other day there’s a gogo being raped. It can’t be normalised and when you look at who’s raping the public, it’s the people who are high on drugs. If you look at who’s selling the drugs, [they] are people who seem to be untouchable why are these people untouchable,” he said.
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Working together with Soweto residents to implement solutions
Addressing the crowd outside the mayoral office, Lux said the memorandum outlined the challenges as well as providing possible solutions. He stressed that they could be overcome with cooperation between the City and the people.
“Whenever we have a problem, we are going straight to where the problem comes from. In this particular case, it’s the lack of leadership in our political structures. We’re saying to the mayor [that] as the first citizen of the city of Johannesburg, she needs to be part of our solution,” he said.
Meanwhile, Phalatse said she would require 14 days to consult the City’s Executive on how to deal with the grievances raised in the memorandum.
