By Everson Luhanga
Angry residents of Alexandra in Johannesburg, protesting about the lack of electricity in parts of the township, seriously disrupted traffic and clashed with police in South Africa’s economic hub on Friday.
They blocked roads leading from Sandton to OR Tambo International Airport with rocks and burning tyres.
In the past few weeks, Alexandra has seen an increasing number of residents take to the streets to express their unhappiness with the provision of power. Each day, more than three protests take place over the lack of electricity and water in this old and overpopulated township.
City Power said it received over 800 calls from Alex residents on Friday alone. Given the history of violent attacks on the utility’s technicians in Alexandra, it said its repair teams could not work at night in some areas.
Alex residents have been blocking major routes that connect people to some of Gauteng’s major economic hubs.
London Road, between Sandton and OR Tambo International Airport, was most affected.
Residents blocked it at the 1st Avenue intersection, at 13th Street, and at the intersection connecting the street to the N3 highway.
On the other side of Alex, Marlboro Drive and East Bank Road were blocked, preventing access to the Gautrain Marlboro station.
Motorists trying to join the N3 highway connecting them to OR Tambo from Sandton had to use alternative routes.
Residents say they have not had electricity for several weeks, forcing them to take to the streets to get the attention of those in power.
Alex resident Joel Ncube said he last had electricity three weeks ago.
“I cannot remember the last time I cooked at home. I bathe in cold water in the morning to go to work and come home to no power,” he said.
Councillor Tefo Raphadu from Ward 105, which covers the area where the Marlboro Gautrain station is, said people are frustrated because they come home tired from work to find they don’t have power.
Although the township’s electricity infrastructure is old and overused, Raphadu pleaded with residents to use power sparingly. “It’s the same electricity we have in summer as in winter. But because we overuse it, we have problems every winter,” he said.
Community leader Vincent Ndima told Scrolla.Africa that the protests will not solve anything. “The same people seen protesting are the ones stressing the electricity system.”
He said many people in the township have built structures that are not authorised or don’t comply with the city’s by-laws.
“There are a lot of people who have connected electricity illegally to their illegal structures, which puts pressure on the system,” he said.
Pictured above: Protesters clashed with cops in Alexandra, and a substation was set alight.
Source: Everson Luhanga
