By Everson Luhanga
South Africans have had enough!
From one end of the country to the other people have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest against the collapse of service delivery.
Water. Electricity. Housing. Sanitation.
These are the services that are failing – and people’s patience is running out.
Community members have taken to the streets to burn tyres and block busy roads.
On Thursday residents who have not had water for almost a week lit fires and cut off the N1 through Ventersburg in the Free State.
But this action was far from isolated.
Here are some of the protest actions in recent days and weeks:
IN GAUTENG:
On 6 February roads around Roodepoort were closed due to protest action.
Albertina Sisulu Drive was closed due to a protest at the Princess informal settlement. Police and the JMPD were called to monitor the situation.
In Kwa-Thema, Ekurhuleni, Thema Road was blocked on Thursday with tyres burning.
In Vosloorus, stones or rocks were thrown at passing motorists on 3 March.
Live rounds were fired at various law enforcement agencies that responded to the protest.
IN KWAZULU-NATAL
In February the R617 to Underberg / Boston was blocked by protestors demonstrating against the shortages of water.
During that time, people had no water or electricity for more than five days.
There was a protest on Mangosuthu Highway on 1 February. The highway was blocked. Traffic had to be diverted.
IN MPUMALANGA
On 1 February residents of Hazyview and Hoedspruit could not use their normal routes, as the road at Matsikitsane was blocked with trucks. Protesters took the keys from the truck drivers.
On the same day, Patriot High School learners took to the streets, burning tyres and blocking roads.
IN THE NORTHERN CAPE
There was protest action on the N14, 60km from Kuruman towards Vryburg.
The road was blocked and the situation became hostile.
IN NORTH WEST
There was protest action on the R506 Jan Kemp / Christiana / GeluksOord road. All roads were closed by protesters on 6 February.
On 13 February the busy N12 at Ikageng (Potchefstroom) was closed due to protests. Residents were protesting against nonexistent service delivery.
IN THE EASTERN CAPE
On 9 February protesters moved from place to place in East London in protest against the lack of service delivery. They brought the area to a standstill.
On 13 February there were protests at the Stanford Road bridge and the N2 in Gqeberha. Protestors looted shops.
16 February there was a two-day shutdown in Komani (Queenstown). Many shops and businesses were closed.
IN THE WESTERN CAPE
On 20 February there was protest action on Baden Powell Drive in Khayelitsha.
People had to use alternative routes to move around.
IN LIMPOPO
On 2 February the R40 between Dwarsloop and Acornhoek was blocked by protesters, and rocks and rubble were thrown on the road.
On 20 February, there was a massive service delivery protest in Phalaborwa. Residents in the area were protesting against the lack of electricity and water.
This is not the full list. Many of the protests are not even being reported.
The country is on edge, and the EFF’s proposed National shutdown, planned for 20 March, is raising the temperature even more.
Pictured above: One of the many protests that rocked the country in recent weeks. The protest was in Isipingo Rail on Old Main Road near Dunlop in Kwazulu Natal.
Image source: Marius Broodryk / Twitter
