Tsakani – Ext 21 residents blocked the area’s main street to demand service delivery on June 10. They barricaded Siphumelele Street with burning tyres, concrete and huge stones so no vehicles could travel on the streets.
The section experienced a shack fire on Friday night that sparked community rage and demands for proper houses and infrastructure.
Resident Mpumelelo Dodo (42) said the section they live in has been in Tsakani for over 19 years but has not developed.
“There is no service delivery. In 2014, we had a big march to the local municipal offices and further escalated our march to their Germiston offices. We were assured there would be development, which has not happened.
“We are in 2024, yet there is no roads or a sign of change. Ten years later, the promise has not been kept. We live in fear because anything could happen to our shacks.
“Every year, there is a shack that burns, and there are yearly deaths we have to experience. It is scary, and we are asking for answers now. Where are the houses we were promised?
“We do not have street lights along the main roads. We are tired of being taken for granted by the people who lead us. We also want to be heard and be taken seriously,” said Dodo.
Residents are adamant the protests will continue until they get good service delivery and the promised houses in their community.
Jabulani Nkosi (48), a resident of Ext 21, alleged the municipality gave them a report in 2014 stating that 854 stands would be built in their area between 2016 and 2017.
“The report stated that some of us would be relocated to the Mega Project in Duduza John Dube Ext 1, and bulk installation in the area would commence in July 2017,” Nkosi explained.
He added that the audit report was submitted to the MEC of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) for consideration and was approved by the MEC of Human Settlement.
“The administration was expected to be complete at the end of September 2016. However, none of that has happened,” said Nkosi.
Nkosi expressed frustration, citing that no municipal official has taken accountability for the report.
“We have realised it is high time we demand attention because if we do not do that, we will all die in our shacks.”
The CoE said the province is handling the project and it is still ongoing.
“At present, the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements is finishing the installation of services (water, sewer and access roads) to 256 stands.
“House construction will follow on completion of the current work, hopefully in the coming financial year, and subject to water capacity problems having been resolved in the area,” said CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.
Dlamini added that access to roads is provided and is under implementation by the GDHS as part of the installation of services to 256 stands because the work that is being done there requires budgets and it would be difficult to anticipate the exact completion date thereto.
