Kuyasa residents protest against illegal electricity disconnections
A man lit a tyre while law enforcements members are keeping an eye on protesters in Kuyasa.
Image: Phiri Cawe
Residents of the New Dawn informal settlement in Kuyasa took to the streets yesterday, Thursday, July 24, in protest after law enforcement agencies removed illegal electricity connections running through the community.
The disconnections, carried out as part of an ongoing clampdown on by-law infringements, targeted cables that had been illegally extended from the nearby Metrorail Kuyasa Train Station. The enforcement operation led to heightened tensions, with some residents attempting to intimidate law enforcement officers on the scene.
Following the disconnections, frustrated community members blocked both ends of Ntlazane Street with burning tyres and rocks, demanding access to legal electricity. Many residents argue that they have no choice but to use these connections to sustain their livelihoods, cook meals, and meet other essential household needs.
Community leader Nosisa Bovane has threatened that the protest for as long as people's cables are not brought back. She said people have been crying about the electricity for five years but they are yet to have it.
Image: Phiri Cawe
Community leader Nosisa Bovane said residents had been living without a formal electricity supply for five years. “We have a right to electricity and other basic services. We have been pleading for electricity for five years,” she said.
According to Ms Bovane, residents were told they needed to establish a local Sanco (South African National Civic Organisation) branch before service delivery could begin. “We did that, but still, nothing is happening,” she said.
She also criticised Ward 99 councillor Lonwabo Mqina for failing to address the community as promised. “We will wait for him because he is a busy man,” she said.
One of the longest streets in Khayelitsha,Ntlazane was blocked with burning tyres from both sides.
Image: Phiri Cawe
Residents expressed concern over the impact of the disconnections, saying they had been without power for two days, and feared their food would spoil. “We have been waiting for electricity for too long. No one has the right to cut off our cables,” said one resident.
Mr Mqina confirmed he was aware of the protest and the community’s dissatisfaction over the removal of their connections. “People are unhappy about the confiscation of their cables,” he said, adding that he was in talks with the relevant authorities. “People need electricity, and I am engaging the powers that be.”