Dutch Reformed Road in Greenpoint was littered with burning material, tree branches and broken bottles as residents embarked on another service delivery protest on Monday.
DUTCH Reformed Road in Greenpoint was covered with burning material, tree branches and broken bottles as residents embarked on another service delivery protest on Monday morning.
Some residents were unable to attend work at the beginning of the work week.
“Protest action proceeded over the flyover near the Puma garage and we decided to stay at home in the event that we would be attacked with flying rocks,” said one resident.
Residents complained that the mayor had not fulfilled his promises of returning to the community to address a list of grievances contained in a memorandum that was sent to his office at the beginning of January.
Two splinter groups gathered along Dutch Reformed Road, where the one group did not want to speak to the media.
The second group indicated that they were from Diamond Park and had been denied access to basic services.
“Nothing has improved since the last time that we staged a protest last month. The sewage is running down the street, elderly residents are suffering, a four-year-old boy drowned in a canal last week and we cannot make use of the roads that are full of potholes.”
They were aggrieved that the ward councillor was based in Ritchie.
“We want a councillor that experiences the same appalling living conditions that we have to contend with. We want to be able to knock on his/her door when we have a problem or set tyres alight outside his house if we are unhappy. The ward councillor has never convened a community meeting and is never available as he is living in Ritchie.
“Since the ANC took over this ward, there have been no improvements in service delivery. The leaders are there to line their pockets and are not interested in the well-being of their voters.”
The ward 26 councillor, Clifford Mokwang, indicated that the ward in Diamond Park had been demarcated and it now fell under Ritchie.
“The community is demanding their own councillor. A memorandum was handed over to the mayor, who must respond to their demands.”
Meanwhile Floors residents, who barricaded the intersection of Recreation and Church roads because of load shedding and poor services, are happy that Karee Road is being repaired.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Mayor, Keobakile Musunse, said the mayor was aware of ongoing protests in Diamond Park, as well as Floors.
“We received communication from the ward councillor about the protests in Diamond Park and are looking towards immediately resolving the situation. The roads will be scraped and the sewage issue is also being attended to and a long-term maintenance plan is on the cards.”
Musunse added that the mayor had met with the Floors community.
“Their issues were resolved amicably.”
