by Bongani Mazibuko, Soshanguve WASP
Residents of Soshanguve in block AA protested on 10 January against continuous water shortages due to the old infrastructure of pipes that burst regularly, street lights that are not working, potholes and damaged tar roads due to lack of storm water channels and no prospect of employment in the community projects which are only given to people connected to ANC and DA.
The issues were reported to Tshwane municipality. They came to inspect on Monday for three minutes and left saying they were coming back with tools to fix the problems. They never returned. On Tuesday they were called and never came. By Wednesday the community had had enough with struggling to get something as basic as water. They decided to go on to the streets since the councillor of the ANC was failing to provide leadership.
Members of the community are tired of been taken for a ride by an ANC councillor who fails to attend to community grievances in block AA only creating ‘forums’ which the community know nothing about but claim they’re ‘representatives’ of our section in the councillors office! We didn’t see these people over the past four days when we had no water. Where were those self-imposed representatives or the councillor?
As soon as tyres and stones were used to barricade the four way stop at blocks AA,BB and DD the police and metro came. We spoke with them and they assured us they will call the municipality water service department to fix the water. The community entered negotiations with the police from Pretoria North and reached a consensus that the councillor needed to come. When he was reached on the phone he promised to send his representative within 10 minutes because he was in a meeting to address our issues – the streets lights, damaged tar roads with potholes and for the unemployed to be considered for the posts in the community projects that are happening in our section.
Instead of this, whilst the community was sitting waiting for the councillor’s representative, chatting amongst themselves, the police walked over to us with their guns loaded. They told us to disperse. While we were leaving they opened fire with rubber bullets. Three community members were shot in the back, one community leader was shot four times – in the right leg, back shoulder, left arm and leg – and one bystander from the community shot in chest upper left next to the heart.
After leaving the community without water for days, failing to address all the other issues, this is how residents are treated! The water is now restored and the councillor has agreed to a meeting on 15 January. Would this have happened if we had not protested?
Click here for WASP’s service delivery programme of action