Johannesburg - Multitudes of residents from various corners of the country have expressed frustration over the lack of service delivery in their communities, compelling some to take to the streets in hopes of getting urgent intervention.
Videos of burning tyres and barricaded roads have become common as scores of residents call for swift measures from the government.
Disgruntled community members from Mpophomeni in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Letsemeng Municipality in Petrusburg in the Free State, Enoch Mgijima Municipality in the Eastern Cape, Boksburg, Kroonstad, Phoenix, Vhembe District Municipality in Limpopo and Khayelitsha in Cape Town are just a few areas reported to have resorted to protests.
The predominant issues in these protests were lack of service delivery, continued blackouts and lack of water supply.
As a result of load shedding, many communities have no water because the pumps that supply water in residential areas are unable to function without electricity.
The wrecking effects of power outages have also been a continued nightmare, which has also pushed most businesses to close their doors.
High electricity tariffs and load shedding also forced scores of DA members to march to Luthuli House, while the EFF is also gearing up for a national shutdown against load shedding.
As more protests continue to explode, political parties have also weighed in on varied issues that affect South Africans.
The DA recently called for urgent intervention and back-up energy as residents express frustration with the lack of water supply.
“The ANC-engineered electricity crisis and load shedding is negatively impacting Rand Water’s ability to supply our reservoirs in Gauteng with water. Water reserves in Gauteng remain low or empty because of power cuts and increased consumption because of the hot weather. Load shedding has been a problem since 2007, and no viable plan has been made to ensure that these critical pump stations are able to continue pumping water while experiencing load shedding.”
EFF president Julius Malema also spoke of their plan to bring South Africa to a standstill in the wake of pressing ills in the country.
“No one is going to intimidate us. South Africa will come to a standstill. If Ramaphosa doesn’t resign on the 20th of March 2023, then what will happen will be announced on the 20th of March.
“There will be no big roads that will be operating on the 20th of March 2023, unless it’s emergency services, and we will not be threatened by any security because we do this peacefully and it is our right.
“We are going to adjust the budget in Ekurhuleni; we are going to clean Tembisa, Katlehong; we are going to clean all those townships that were neglected by the DA.”
The Star