On Wednesday, 16 March 2022, several wards from kathorus, Katlehong embarked on a march to the Ekurhuleni Customer Care Center (CCC) to deliver a memorandum of their grievances.
The march was led by the African National Congress (ANC) ward councillors from wards 58, 59, 60, 101, 103, and 108. Members of the community marched from different wards and joined together at the CCC.
The MMC for Transport and Fleet Management, Alco Ngobese was part of the march to oversee, and listen to the grievances put forward by the community members, and also to take the memorandum.
The issues raised in the memorandum were:
- 75% of water expense debt for the household must be written off.
- job losses due to the Pandemic.
- Some wards not have had electricity for 10 months.
- No cleaning and grass cutting, potholes, and open spaces that turn into dump areas.
- Debts of more than 90 days must be written off.
- Burdening change in costs of living.
- Eskom issues.
A concerned resident who asked to remain anonymous said that the electricity price is expensive and it affects the community.
“Electricity is very high, we pay double and this is affecting us as people who are from low-class communities, we always complain but nothing is changing,” he said.
MMC Ngobese accepted and also signed the memorandum to show that he acknowledges it.
The ward councillors gave him a time frame of three months to come back and give feedback and for the electricity issue, they asked for it to be resolved immediately.
Cllr Sanele Ngubani from ward 61 said he acknowledges that these issues are from the ANC leadership but now it is getting worse.
“I know that these issues are from the ANC leadership but now it is going from worse to worse, after this if there is no change, we will mobilise and do more strikes until they hear what we are saying because we are leading human beings not animals and they must recognise us” he stated.
By Simphiwe Khumalo
