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Two men killed in violent protest!

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Tembisa residents closed roads and destroyed infrastructure in protest against the lack of feedback from Mayor Tania Campbell regarding service delivery issues.                Photo by Trevor Kunene
Tembisa residents closed roads and destroyed infrastructure in protest against the lack of feedback from Mayor Tania Campbell regarding service delivery issues. Photo by Trevor Kunene

TWO people were killed during a violent protest on Monday, 1 August.

Tembisa, Ekurhuleni, was on fire as municipal offices, vehicles and a power substation were torched.

Roads leading to the kasi were barricaded with rocks and burning tyres by protesters, who were angry over high electricity and municipal rates.

They accused Mayor Tania Campbell of ignoring their demands and failing to show up at a community meeting on Friday, 29 July. But the mayor said the demonstration was orchestrated to make the kasi ungovernable.

Early in the morning, a truck was also torched on the R21 highway.

Metro police spokeswoman, Chief Superintendent Kelebogile Thepa, said they were engaging with other law enforcement agencies, including the police, to assist in containing the situation as they were outnumbered.

Rubber bullets were used to disperse a crowd, which was throwing stones.

“Two males were fatally wounded as a result of the protest action,” said Thepa.

She said investigations were underway to determined whether Metro police were involved in the deaths.

“This is a devastating scenario and the situation is extremely volatile.

“We urge motorists to drive with caution,” she said.

Resident Dorcas Malatji said the mayor was not taking them seriously.

“Tembisa is getting punished for the sins of others.

“Our electricity is overpriced and we are expected to pay water as well.

“We will not stop until we are heard,” she said.

Campbell said she sent five mayoral committee members to engage with residents last week.

“But that meeting unfortunately failed to reach any resolution,” she said.

In a statement, the mayor said she would be contacting Premier David Makhura to develop a co-ordinated approach.

“We are concerned that the visuals we are witnessing in Tembisa are no longer community-based but rather a well-orchestrated operation to render the township ungovernable,” she said.

Ekurhuleni Municipality spokesman Zweli Dlamini said they noted with concern the extensive destruction of public infrastructure.

He said: “Since the start of the service delivery protest, the Rabasotho Customer Care Centre has been set alight and four council-owned vehicles also got burnt.

“The Thafeni Pay Point was also on fire, as well as the substation on Andrew Maphetho Drive.”

He said law enforcement agencies were monitoring the situation.“

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