Pretoria - Community leaders in Gomorrah informal settlement yesterday closed down the City of Tshwane’s Booysens Nursery, demanding running water and electricity.
According to them, they were promised the services three years ago.
The leaders, from Malusi (Gomorrah) Extension 1, closed the gate at Booysens Nursery with chains and a padlock. Their action followed a march to Tshwane House last week.
They insisted that no one would be allowed to enter the nursery, also used by students for environmental studies, until the City of Tshwane had explained why their area did not receive bulk infrastructure for water and electricity.
The leaders said their area in Gomorrah was among areas meant to benefit from R290 million in capital expenditure forming part of the council’s 2018/19 Integrated Development Plan for the metro.
Holding a document published by the City, they said they would not leave the facility until the MMC for housing and human settlements, Mpho Mehlape-Zimu, or mayor Randall Williams engaged with them.
One of the leaders, Boshielo Elmond said: “The area has been here longer than all these sections of the informal settlement that now enjoy electricity.
“Our children cannot even study because of the dark, and they too have dreams to become doctors and lawyers like other people. All that was happening when there was a R290 million budget that was supposed to benefit us too, but nobody is accounting for that. The City of Tshwane needs to stop taking us for granted because we are tired of the lies and empty promises.
“We want service delivery and we are not winning here. We also want the City to make our stands permanent because in the last 15 years we have not received services. Tshwane has been failing us so much we even know the officials by name because we are sent from pillar to post.”
Tshwane chief of staff Jordan Griffiths said: “In Booysen we have commenced with water, sewer and electrical reticulation. We are in a process of appointing the engineering consultant to review the designs for water and sewers, and facilitating the appointment of the contractor at Andeon Extension 37.”
Pretoria News