Johannesburg - Residents from Ennerdale and Fine Town in the south of Johannesburg were up in arms on Thursday morning over several issues facing the area.
Blowing vuvuzelas, whistles and singing struggle songs, a group of over 300 people marched through the streets of Fine Town and Ennerdale extension seven over service delivery and infighting about candidates being nominated for the local government elections.
Roads were blocked with rocks, burning rubbish, tree branches and metal polls.
A community leader who asked to remain anonymous out of fear said that they are angry about what's happening. “There is an ANC candidate for the local elections who is corrupt and she is fighting to stand as the ward councillor.
“We don't want her because she does nothing for us, she lost in the 2011 elections and it's because of her we have DA governing this area,” she said.
She added that the candidate had threatened the community and used money to bribe her way into positions.
“She lives in the suburbs and she doesn't understand or care about the struggles of our community and thats why she lost in 2011.
“We won't vote in elections if she's chosen as the candidate,” the leader said.
Fine Town resident Simon* said they needed a ward councillor who would make a difference. “We live in a pigsty. There's no running water, no toilets and no proper electricity. Many people connect illegally and get killed.
“We can't carry on living like this and all the fighting is just delaying our access to to service delivery,” he said.
As the morning wore on more and more disgruntled residents joined the protest.
Many students and children also joined in the protest instead of attending school.
There was a Johannesburg Metro Police Department presence on the outskirts of the area but none had actually driven into Fine Town.
Another resident, Thandi* said that there is also no clinic in the area and the new one in extention 8 is too far away for Fie Town residents to access. “There's a lot of crime here and the police station is too far away so people get robbed all the time and it's not right.
“We need a police station in this area,” she said.
“The problems with the ward councillors is that money talks, it's everything and that's why there's so much corruption,” Thandi added.
Students were seen playing soccer in the streets during the protest. To this Simon* said there are no sports facilities for the children to play sport.
* Not their real names.