Stuart Hess
‘HOW am I supposed to feed my children if the taps don’t work?” asked a young mother of two in Eldorado Park. “If there’s no water, how do I wash myself?” inquired a boy, adding that he had not bathed for two days.
These were reactions by residents of Westbury, Riverlea and Eldorado Park this week after councils cut off electricity and water for nonpayment. The townships were turned into virtual war zones as angry residents set up burning barricades blocking off parts of suburban streets.
The South Western Joint Civics Association (Sowejoca) called a stayaway on Thursday as part of their protest. “The present situation has to change because residents cannot afford to pay for their services,” said Basil Douglas, an association representative. He warned pensioners not to try and collect their pensions because of the volatile situation in the suburbs.
Residents expressed anger at their mistreatment by the apartheid government but said that “nothing had changed under the ANC”.
“We had nothing under apartheid when they only looked after the whites. But now the blacks only look after themselves. What must we do?” said one woman at a barricade blocking the main road in Eldorado Park.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Govindsamy Mariemuthoo said protestors set a school on fire and several policemen were injured. Cynthia Ndluli, a social worker from Eldorado Park, called for calm as tensions mounted in the suburb late this week.
In the western Johannesburg suburb of Westbury residents burned barricades and provoked police and intimidated other residents. “Why must we pay the full rate when the blacks only pay a flat rate for their services?” said a resident, Ronald Jacobs. He added that blacks in Soweto and surrounding townships only paid a flat rate of R35 per month for water and electricity while residents of Westbury had to pay according to how much they used.
“They [the government] think we coloureds benefited from apartheid but we suffered the same oppression as blacks,” said Jacobs.
Jacobs added that he respected the police but the current protests did not involve them. If they wanted “to maintain stability”, he said, “The police should rather leave.”