A war over electricity has spiralled out of control in Motherwell, with neighbours preparing to go to war with each other if their demands are not met.
Four trucks, a bakkie and a councillor’s office have been torched and one person has been injured already.
The situation in the area has been tense for weeks, with residents of the Nobakanjani informal settlement in Ward 53 accusing Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani of making false promises that electricity would be installed.
Fed up with waiting, the residents made illegal connections, siphoning off electricity from neighbouring RDP homes in Ikamvelihle, leading to widespread blackouts for the past 11 days.
On Wednesday, two separate protest groups – one made up of informal settlement residents and the other of RDP home occupants – forced the closure of Addo Road, a vital arterial road from Port Elizabeth to Addo and Kirkwood.
A 50-year-old man from the informal settlement, who asked not to be named, admitted he had been part of a group that had thrown petrol bombs at trucks and burnt the councillor’s office, saying the action was necessary as “in this country, if you do not vandalise things, no-one pays attention”.
The residents said Bobani had met them in July and promised they would have electricity by September.
However, the electricity connection contract which started earlier in 2019 stopped abruptly later in July.
The 50-year-old man said they had started closing the Addo Road at about 10pm on Tuesday.
“There is a budget [amount] that the mayor gave us of R25m for electricity connection and water provision.
“A few months after the project started, the contractors stopped working.
“When we started inquiring about this with our ward councillor [Nomazulu Mthi], we were told via the grapevine the money is finished,” he said.
“We have been trying to get hold of our ward councillor since, so that she can address us herself, but to no avail.
“We want answers. And this is why we have decided to take action the way we did.”
Asked who had torched the trucks and the ward councillor’s office, the man said: “A group of us did.
“The councillor knows our frustration, the municipality knows our frustration, yet they continue to ignore us.”
On Wednesday morning, more than 100 residents from Ikamvelihle decided to gather outside the Ikamvelihle police station in a counter-protest.
Speaking on behalf of the residents, Nomonde Runeli, a member of the Community Policing Forum, said the burning of the ward councillor’s office was shortsighted.
“This will interfere with the day-to-day running of the office and the daily services it provides in the community, such as certifying things and providing proof of addresses for job seekers,” Runeli said.
“Another issue is the fact that we have been without electricity since August 4.”
Runeli said the transformer that feeds the area had exploded and though electricians had come to fix the connection and restore electricity, it had lasted for just 30 minutes at most.
“We understand the frustration of the people from Nobakanjani, but we must not suffer in the process.
“The only person who can resolve the matter is the mayor himself, and if he does not come to meet the people, a war will befall us,” Runeli said.
Bobani said he had been engaging people from Nobakanjani about the “process plan” of electrification and water provision in the area.
He condemned the violence and burning of property, and urged residents to remain calm.
“The work has already started and will continue as per the availability of the budget and material,” Bobani said.
“We are busy with processes of acquiring funds for the work to continue.”
Bobani said he would give feedback to the community after the plan had been approved by the council, which is on recess for at least a month.
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said four protesters had been arrested.
Mthi declined to comment.
Protesters torch trucks, close Addo Road
Motherwell electricity tensions spiral out of control
Image: Fredlin Adriaan
A war over electricity has spiralled out of control in Motherwell, with neighbours preparing to go to war with each other if their demands are not met.
Four trucks, a bakkie and a councillor’s office have been torched and one person has been injured already.
The situation in the area has been tense for weeks, with residents of the Nobakanjani informal settlement in Ward 53 accusing Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani of making false promises that electricity would be installed.
Fed up with waiting, the residents made illegal connections, siphoning off electricity from neighbouring RDP homes in Ikamvelihle, leading to widespread blackouts for the past 11 days.
On Wednesday, two separate protest groups – one made up of informal settlement residents and the other of RDP home occupants – forced the closure of Addo Road, a vital arterial road from Port Elizabeth to Addo and Kirkwood.
A 50-year-old man from the informal settlement, who asked not to be named, admitted he had been part of a group that had thrown petrol bombs at trucks and burnt the councillor’s office, saying the action was necessary as “in this country, if you do not vandalise things, no-one pays attention”.
The residents said Bobani had met them in July and promised they would have electricity by September.
However, the electricity connection contract which started earlier in 2019 stopped abruptly later in July.
The 50-year-old man said they had started closing the Addo Road at about 10pm on Tuesday.
“There is a budget [amount] that the mayor gave us of R25m for electricity connection and water provision.
“A few months after the project started, the contractors stopped working.
“When we started inquiring about this with our ward councillor [Nomazulu Mthi], we were told via the grapevine the money is finished,” he said.
“We have been trying to get hold of our ward councillor since, so that she can address us herself, but to no avail.
“We want answers. And this is why we have decided to take action the way we did.”
Asked who had torched the trucks and the ward councillor’s office, the man said: “A group of us did.
“The councillor knows our frustration, the municipality knows our frustration, yet they continue to ignore us.”
On Wednesday morning, more than 100 residents from Ikamvelihle decided to gather outside the Ikamvelihle police station in a counter-protest.
Speaking on behalf of the residents, Nomonde Runeli, a member of the Community Policing Forum, said the burning of the ward councillor’s office was shortsighted.
“This will interfere with the day-to-day running of the office and the daily services it provides in the community, such as certifying things and providing proof of addresses for job seekers,” Runeli said.
“Another issue is the fact that we have been without electricity since August 4.”
Runeli said the transformer that feeds the area had exploded and though electricians had come to fix the connection and restore electricity, it had lasted for just 30 minutes at most.
“We understand the frustration of the people from Nobakanjani, but we must not suffer in the process.
“The only person who can resolve the matter is the mayor himself, and if he does not come to meet the people, a war will befall us,” Runeli said.
Bobani said he had been engaging people from Nobakanjani about the “process plan” of electrification and water provision in the area.
He condemned the violence and burning of property, and urged residents to remain calm.
“The work has already started and will continue as per the availability of the budget and material,” Bobani said.
“We are busy with processes of acquiring funds for the work to continue.”
Bobani said he would give feedback to the community after the plan had been approved by the council, which is on recess for at least a month.
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said four protesters had been arrested.
Mthi declined to comment.
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