Katlehong residents use digger to tear up main road during protest
Protesters say their pleas for electricity, flushing toilets and housing have fallen on deaf ears
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Residents of Tsietsi Phase 5 and 6 informal settlements in Katlehong used a digger to tear up sections of the R550 during a protest over poor service delivery this week. Photos: Kimberly Mutandiro
Protesting Palmridge residents took turns using a digger to dig up sections of the R550 main road to Johannesburg near the Tsietsi Phase 5 and 6 informal settlements in Katlehong. The protest continued on Friday morning, with access roads blocked.
The group’s anger reached boiling point on Thursday after Mayor of Ekurhuleni Nkosindiphile Xhakaza failed to attend a community meeting to discuss the area’s service challenges.
They said they felt ignored as the mayor had visited neighbouring settlements last weekend.
In June last year, the Tsietsi Phase 5 and 6 residents marched to the municipal offices to give their list of demands. A team of officials then visited the settlement but nothing changed, residents told GroundUp.
They also complained about having to rely on illegal connections for 30 years and sharing chemical toilets with dozens of households. While there are some communal taps, residents say these aren’t enough to service the growing community.
According to community representative Phakhela Maitse, the settlement was established about 30 years ago. He said in 2016, the community petitioned then-mayor of Ekurhuleni, the South African Human Rights Commission and the Public Protector but to no avail.
Maitse said that they again took their grievances to the government in 2025.
“A sewer project that the City started is at a standstill. Every month the City rents chemical toilets from contractors. Why don’t they use that money to build us toilets?” said Maitse.
He said a portion of land was formalised in 2018 and 300 stands built next to the settlement with electricity poles. But almost eight years later, the poles have been stripped of its cables and bulbs.
Mapeni Pitso said she has lived in the area for 20 years. She wants the municipality to connect her to formal electricity and to build her a house.
“I do not want to spend another winter without electricity,” she said
The City of Ekurhuleni and the mayor’s office had not responded to our questions at the time of publication.
Community representative Phakela Maitse points out informal electricity connections in the settlement.
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Letters
Dear Editor
I would be very keen to know why protestors almost always cause damage and traffic obstructions in their areas, where they always cause disruptions and inconvenience to innocent people and motorists.
The targets for these protests are sitting comfortably in their homes and offices. Why don't these protests take place at the source of the issue, namely the city Council buildings, water or electricity municipal buildings, etc.?
Or perhaps even outside the homes of the councillors or mayors who have failed that community?
Dear Editor
Their frustration is understandable, but their behaviour is not. Neither is it acceptable. So, what are the options?
Let them do without a road, forever (until they build one themselves). This destructive mindset has been prevalent for many decades.
If things are so unacceptable, then do things differently. Surely by now it has sunk in that burning and destroying make it worse, not better. Try voting for a government that will at least try to improve things over time (and understand it takes time) instead of voting for the same false promises, fairytales and lies time after time.
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