By MATAMPANE RAYMOND MOKWENA
Empilisweni informal settlement community members in Thokoza barricaded Serema road, demanding electrification to their homes(today) on the 30th of July, 2020.
They demonstrated by burning vehicle tyres and barricading the road with huge stones and relentlessly destroying some of the vending stands which are based aside the khumalo main road, before being dispersed by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the deployed South African National Defence force(SANDF).
One of the committee members in Empilisweni ward 52 Mhlonipheni Zungu shared that, “We have been meeting with the ward 52 councillor, Kenneth Boromane Nyathe, outlining our issues with him concerning our basic needs such as the need for electricity in our homes, efficient water supply, food parcels for those who are unemployed during this COVID- 19 pandemic, we have even formed a community committee with new members which the councillor refuses to accept ,regardless of that our demands have not been met till today, he even told us that his not responsible for most of the necessary basic needs we ask from him,” outlined Zungu.
However Councillor , Kenneth Boromane Nyathe in his defence, stated that, “ We have provided temporary water tanks and toilets for people living in Empilisweni, because the land which this people are occupying is privately owned by SPORNET, according to my knowledge, as I have made an effort to enquire about the land from the Human Settlement department , so it will be difficult for the City of Ekurhuleni to provide permanent basic needs in that area as it is privately owned, however the new community committee was formed recently during the COVID-19 pandemic and it was only consisting of two people who approached me, and I accepted the new committee.
“But the new committee seeks to change everything that was structured by the old committee,”Nyathe clarified.
