Cry for service delivery bursts into unending wave of protests

MULTITUDES of residents from various corners of the country have expressed frustration over the lack of service delivery, compelling some to take to the streets in hopes of getting urgent intervention.

Videos of burning tyres and barricaded roads have become common as scores of residents call for swift measures from the government.

Disgruntled community members from Mpophomeni in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Letsemeng Municipality in Petrusburg in the Free State, Enoch Mgijima Municipality in the Eastern Cape, Boksburg, Kroonstad, Phoenix, Vhembe District Municipality in Limpopo and Khayelitsha in Cape Town are just a few areas reported to have resorted to protests.

The predominant issues are lack of service delivery, blackouts and lack of water supply.

Many of the areas have no water because the pumps that supply the water are unable to function without electricity.

The proposed steep electricity tariff and load shedding also forced scores of DA members to march to the ANC headoffices in Joburg, Luthuli House, while the EFF is also gearing up for a national shutdown over load shedding.

As more protests continue to implode, political parties have also weighed in.

The DA recently called for urgent intervention and back-up energy as residents expressed their frustration with the lack of water supply.

“The ANC-engineered electricity crisis and load shedding is negatively impacting Rand Water’s ability to supply our reservoirs in Gauteng. Water reserves in Gauteng remain low or empty because of power cuts and increased consumption because of the hot weather. Load shedding has been a problem since 2007, and no viable plan has been made to ensure that these critical pump stations are able to continue pumping water while experiencing load shedding.”

EFF president Julius Malema spoke of his party’s plan to bring South Africa to a standstill. “No one is going to intimidate us. South Africa will come to a standstill. If Ramaphosa doesn’t resign on March 20, 2023, then what will happen will be announced on (this day).

“There will be no big roads that will be operating on March 20, unless it’s emergency services, and we will not be threatened by any security because we do this peacefully and it is our right.

“We are going to adjust the Budget in Ekurhuleni; we are going to clean Tembisa, Katlehong; we are going to clean all those townships that were neglected by the DA.”