Township leaders confront minister Sisulu

Residents of Gauteng townships racked by violent protests made sure government got the message yesterday when they confronted Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu at a community meeting.

For days last week residents of Ennerdale, Eldorado Park, Finetown, Kliptown, Freedom Park, Westbury, Riverlea, Bosmont and Claremont clashed with police in service-delivery protests.

Tension rose in the meeting held in Soweto when community members accused Sisulu of not paying attention to their grievances.

• Ministers‚ MECs and MMCs meet to deal with Gauteng protestsHuman Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu on Thursday met with various spheres of government to address the protests that have engulfed certain parts of Gauteng over housing problems.

Angry community leaders called for the issues of overcrowding, land, housing, jobs and service delivery to be addressed.

Sisulu, accompanied by Gauteng human settlements MEC Paul Mashatile and Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba, told residents she was there to listen to them.

• WATCH: 'Eldos’ housing crisis killed my marriages'For Eldorado Park resident Bianca Smith the community’s housing crisis can be summed up in the failure of her two marriages.

Yasim Hyatt of Eldorado Park questioned the time frame for service delivery, saying: "Stones and tyres led us here. We will liberate this country with stones and tyres.

"Ministers, tell us how, when and where the delivery will take place," said Hyatt.

• Furniture worth R500k looted during Eldorado Park protests recoveredSlovo Park informal settlement dwellers who started looting amid protests on Tuesday not only helped themselves to groceries from shops in the Nancefield industrial area‚ but many also made off with large pieces of furniture.

Sisulu intervened when community leaders became angry after human settlements director-general Mbulelo Tshangana promised community grievances would be addressed within six months.

She said she would address the issues within three months and all children arrested during the protests would be freed at once.