`revenge’
Stuart Hess
MORE than a week after rioting to protest=20 high taxes, residents of Johannesburg’s=20 coloured areas remain defiant of the=20 government, saying that an old oppressor=20 has merely been replaced with a new one.
The rates row which sparked the rioting -=20 in which police have confirmed two people=20 died – is only one of many reasons for=20 their anger, residents said, adding that=20 police response to the protest only=20 aggravated the situation.
“Police fired wildly and just shot anyone=20 they saw,” said Celia Dan, whose 11-year- old son David was shot in the leg during=20 the fighting. “What did an 11-year-old boy=20 do?”
“[Civics leader] Basil Douglas is the only=20 person that is willing to fight for the=20 coloured community. He should be awarded a=20 medal,” said Eldorado Park resident Sonja=20 Olifant. “Douglas,” said a pensioner, “is=20 the only one standing up for coloureds.”
Douglas tapped into a popular vein when he=20 called last week’s stayaway to protest=20 rising electricity and water tariffs.=20
“This is an act of revenge by Mandela=20 because the coloured community did not=20 support the ANC during the elections,” said=20 Olifant. She faces electricity and water=20 arrears of more than R9000, but said she=20 cannot afford to pay because she is=20 unemployed. “We suffered under the old=20 regime and we are still suffering today.”
Many residents blamed the Gauteng=20 government for neglecting the coloured=20 community. “This is ridiculous. Does the=20 council think we are rich? We won’t pay=20 these high rates,” said one woman, who=20 refused to be identified.=20
Eldorado Park resident Colette du Pont said=20 Gauteng premier Tokyo Sexwale had failed to=20 respond to calls from residents to deal=20 with the issue.=20
“If this had happened in a black township=20 he would be visiting the people. But he=20 doesn’t care about us,” she said.
Residents have accused municipal councils=20 of failing to keep their promises to scrap=20 arrears accumulated prior to the April 1994=20 election. “No arrears were scrapped in=20 Eldorado Park, only in Soweto,” said Du=20 Pont.
Prema Naidoo, chair of the Southern=20 Metropolitan Substructure, dismissed the=20 claims. He said some residents had not paid=20 their accounts for two years and this=20 explained why they owed as much as R15000.=20 Naidoo said the residents’ calls to scrap=20 arrears that accumulated after the 1994=20 election were unrealistic.=20