POLICE fired rubber bullets to disperse a group of protesters in Delft yesterday who were demanding electricity for their new subsidised houses in the N2 Gateway.
About 50 residents burnt tyres in front of the Housing Development Agency’s (HDA) office before smashing its windows. The residents said they had been waiting for electricity since December, when they first moved into their houses.
“This is the eighth month that we’ve been without lights,” resident Kenneth Nielsen said, adding that he spent R600 of his pension on rent, candles and cooking gas.
“What then do I get from my pension? How am I supposed to live?”
Another resident, Thabiso Mapalane, said without electricity their area was not safe.
A member of the SAPS fires rubber bullets at the fleeing crowd of the N2 Gateway residents in Delft. Photo: Brenton Geach
INLSA
There had been six murders in the past three weeks, he said.
“This area is close to a dark forest which presents criminals with a hiding place.”
Mapalane added that some houses had been burgled while a house was set alight when a burning candle had fallen over.
N2 Gateway Area Committee leader Brian Macaba said when they had moved into the new houses, HDA promised them that the area would have electricity by January.
“However, Eskom didn’t do the work and the developers later promised us that they would electrify the area in April,” Macaba said.
The residents said that, after nothing had happened in April, they were told they would have electricity in June, but that had not transpired.
On June 20, Eskom wrote to the community to say that the electrification process would start at the beginning of this month.
According to a copy of the letter, Eskom assured the community that it was committed to delivering electricity to the area.
“As per our discussions (at the) Friday meeting (which was) held on site, Eskom wants to apologise for the delay in electrifying the area.
“Please be advised that Eskom promises to be on site beginning of August 2011 to start electrification,” the letter read in part.
Eskom spokeswoman Jolene Henn denied that Eskom was behind schedule.
She said she did not know why the residents had taken to the streets without informing them.
“Eskom is currently on site as per the communicated construction date, which is August 1, 2011,” Henn said.
She added that the site was handed over to the Eskom contractor on Monday in the presence of community leaders as well as the councillor’s representatives for the Delft Symphony Precincts 1 and 2.
Residents, however, have denied this and say no work has been done by Eskom or its contractor this week.
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