Informal settlement residents stage fiery protest over poor services

Just six taps, no electricity or proper houses and far too few public toilets for a community of more than 500 people.

These were among the reasons residents of Cyril Ramaphosa informal settlement, near Windvogel in Port Elizabeth’s northern areas,  protested early on Wednesday, demanding that Nelson Mandela Bay municipality intervene urgently.  

About 100 people took part in the protest, which resulted in Bethelsdorp Road heading to Missionvale being blocked with rocks and burning tyres.

However, police later cleared the debris and the road was reopened.

Candice Steyn, 35, who lives in the informal settlement, said motorists had berated them for blocking the road.

However, she said the motorists had not experienced what members of the community had to endure on a daily basis.

“We want houses, we want electricity inside our own homes, we want more taps, we want each house to have their own toilets — these were the reasons we protested today.

“We’ve lived here for a year,  we are tired of having to collect wood to boil water to wash our children, in order for them to go to school.

“We are tired of drinking tea that smells like smoke, our husbands go to work smelling like smoke, all our clothes smell like smoke, because we have to make fires in order to cook,” she said.

“These houses are built close to each other, these fires are a risk to our lives.”

Garnitt Bowles, 36, who also lives in the informal settlement, said illegal electricity connections in the area also posed a risk to the children.

Shamell Nomavuka, 34, said: “At least if we could start by getting electricity, a toilet for each house before this month ends, in order for them to finish by the end of November.

“They [government officials] must get out of their comfort zones, they are not in our situation.

“They’d never eat or drink in this community.

“If these things aren’t done the next protest will be more violent — we’re fighting for our families.”

Bay senior director for water and sanitation Barry Martin addressed the irate residents on the progress made in the area.

“When councilor [Marlon] Daniels reported the issue of the toilets, we cleaned the toilets, some of the standpipes were fixed and some of the valves were closed.

“Please respect the infrastructure.

“The people that steal the electricity make problems for other people.

“The same happens to the standpipes when people don’t use it correctly and break it.

“Communal taps work hard. There are a lot of people that use them. Please don’t vandalise them.

“People ask R20 for the taps that they steal, but it affects the whole community when there’s no water.”

Municipal spokesperson Mamela Ndamase said: “A lot of the delays are caused by the vandalism that is done to our infrastructure or budget constraints.

“The problem with the electricity supply is that the demand is too much across the city.

“We are pleading with residents to be patient as the [infrastructure] list is very long.”

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said at about 7.30am public order policing members were on the scene to calm residents and monitor the situation.

“There were no incidents of violence.

“The roads were subsequently opened by the SA Police Service and the metro police.”

HeraldLIVE