Members of the Johannesburg metropolitan police department fired rubber bullets to disperse protesters in the south of the city on Tuesday after a Joburg Water team tasked with cutting off illegal connections was met with hostility.
Residents from the Phumla Mqashi informal settlement in Lenasia have closed off the only access road to the settlement with stones and are gathering in large numbers.
Protesters are singing “we are fighting for our rights”.
Nolwazi Dhlamini from Joburg Water said they had to abandon the operation after disconnecting only a few pipes.
Protesters also blocked the Golden Highway.
Phumla Mqashi, an area without formal water supply infrastructure, was initially served by water tanks to meet residents' needs. However, due to land invasions and subsequent illegal water connections, the tanks were vandalised, Joburg Water said ahead of the operation.
This led to increased strain on the local water supply network. As a result, Joburg Water announced its plan to disconnect all unauthorised connections in the area.
The entity had pledged to provide basic services after the disconnections.
This is a developing story
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