Service delivery protests hit Gauteng

15 April 2014 - 18:47 By Phetane Rapetswane and Lehlohonolo Tau
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Service Delivery Protest
Service Delivery Protest
Image: Gallo Images

Gauteng saw two protests take place, as residents in Olievenhoutbosch in Centurion and residents in Kliptwon, Soweto took to the streets to express displeasure at service delivery related matters.

Protestors at Olivenhoutbosch informal settlement between Kyalami and Centurian took to the streets to protest an agreement that the City of Tshwane reneged on, and drew up a memorandum of demands for the Gauteng MEC of Housing to receive.

Residents were against the idea of people from Mooiplaas moving land that had been allocated to them.

Secretary General for South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) at Olivenhoutbosch Kleinbooi Aphane said that the residents agreed with the City of Tshwane in 2012 that they would have first preference on the land that was allocated for multipurpose housing.

He then said that the City changed its tune on the agreement, and said the residents of Mooiplaas would be moving in whether they like it or not.

“If they allow the residents of Mooiplaas to move to the vacant land, then we will have no choice but to tell our people to go and occupy that land illegally” he said.

Development has already commenced on the land, with sewer pipes already being placed.

The action resulted The R55 and the R562 being blocked off from motorists. Roads are still blocked off at the time of writing.

Lt-Col Lungelo Dlamini said residents had gathered and blocked the route in the morning before eventually using rocks to block the road.

Olievenhoutbosch Plaza was also closed for the day, and small businesses owned by foreign national in the neighbourhood closed for fear of looting.

Residents at Kliptown blocked of due to an increase in rent and levies for low cost housing. This is not the first time protests have erupted in Kliptown, last year the area had problems with power outages due to illegal electricity connections.   

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