• Tweet

DESPERATE MEASURES: Police try to disperse angry residents of Soul City protesting for service delivery and demanding speed humps on the main road after two children were knocked down. PHOTOS: MOHAU MOFOKENG

RELATED ARTICLES

• Mom of girl killed by truck begs for calm

RESIDENTS of Soul City informal settlement in Kagiso, Johannesburg, yesterday staged a service delivery protest in a bid to get the mayor's attention.

The angry mob barricaded roads, preventing cars from entering or passing through Kagiso township, and demanded the construction of speed humps on the nearby main road to reduce accidents.

In one of the skirmishes between the protesters, police and municipality security officers, a man was shot in the back and rushed to hospital.

The protests resulted in the temporary closure of the Kagiso main access road . Protesters vowed they would close the roads until Mogale City mayor Koketso Calvin Seerane addresses them.

The protest turned sinister when protesters abducted two SABC journalists after police arrested a woman protester. The two were released on condition the police release the woman.

Mogale City local municipality spokesman Nkosana Zali said the riots were triggered by two car accidents yesterday. "Two school children were knocked down - one by a truck and the other by a taxi.

"Unfortunately one died and the other one is recovering at Leratong Hospital.

"We understand they want speed humps to reduce accidents. We promise to fast track the process so we can peaceful.

"At 10am, the situation got out of hand and protesters started throwing stones at the police and media."

Zali said a resident had been arrested for public violence .

"We have called for more manpower and more people will be arrested. For the sake of peace, we are going to release the woman and deal with her later."

One of the protesters told Sowetan they had been waiting for houses for years.

"The main problem is that we do not have enough water and toilets. We have been 'engaging' the councillor to no avail."

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Tue May 21 08:18:12 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 1, 2012

2nevvy4u

atleast they are fighting for reasonable thing,last year they demanded RDPs with jacuzzis and R1200 for grocery every month.
Report Abuse

Aug 1, 2012

Shredder

If the dude with a red vest was not there; it was going to be a June 16 verisimilar photo :-D
Report Abuse

Aug 1, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

Make sure they deliver what they promised every one do not lestin to their rubbish that they do not have money we pay rates every month they must provide the damnn services. In 2014 they will be fartingg Vote for us!!! Vote for us!!!!!!! this thieves must know that anarky is easy to implement/
Report Abuse

Aug 1, 2012

Maezizsto4Sure

kikikkikikikiki hai mshemane wena mense ba KayGee ga o ba utlwe vele can they really protest for such things?
Report Abuse

Aug 1, 2012

2nevvy4u

ha o ba tsebe boy ba DVD(Dom Veryyy Dom)
Report Abuse

Aug 1, 2012

MommaC

I do wish they would stop calling them 'informal settlements; They are SQUATTER CAMPS.

Pity that they didn't care so much about the little ones that they let them wonder around on the roads and traumatise the poor truck driver or life.
Report Abuse

Aug 1, 2012

Maezizsto4Sure

Mara mshemane nou ba lwanela dintho tse basic for go lewa.Phela ga o ka sheba mense ba di squatter camps ba phela seur...geen bo di strata,ba spanisa pompo tsei two die hele community ba spanisa di toilet tsa mekotu lewe e nzima.
Report Abuse

Aug 1, 2012

2nevvy4u

akere nou mshemane Mayor wa bona o file ma ngamla madladla instead of batho pele.Phela o sa nagana gore batho ba di squater camps ba sokola kaofela phela o nyondolla dintaeza daar di i chafile ka mense ba di 3quater blankets.
Report Abuse

Aug 1, 2012

Maezizsto4Sure

Ja mayor o flopile daso mara boi o cho mense ba daso ba na le zaka?Hai nna ke bona net hlophego
Report Abuse

Aug 1, 2012

MRSBIRD

These people are illegally occupying that area to start with and they come and cause havoc in our township. Again putting humps on a main road (freeway nogal), that is plain silly!!!!!. They only transport they own is bicylces.......
Report Abuse

Read all 20 comments