The criminals saw an opportunity and hijacked a peaceful protest that resulted in the deaths of four people in Thembisa on Monday, said Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs Lebohang Maile, adding his voice to calls for calm.
During his visit to the Ekurhuleni township east of Johannesburg on Wednesday, Maile said such behaviour takes over whenever there is a protest in the community.
“This to me looks like there are criminal elements that have hijacked the genuine protest of communities, and this happens every time when there is a community protest,” said Maile.
“It is for that reason that we always urge communities to be vigilant and make sure that they behave in an orderly manner.”
Maile further said there is no way of justifying the violent acts during a protest and that there is no way of explaining it.
“The violence does not solve the service delivery issues that they [communities] have, so we urge all the residents of Thembisa to work with law-enforcement officers to identify and isolate those who are behind the crime to make sure that they are brought to book.”
Ekurhuleni mayor Tania Campbell joined Maile when he visited the homes of the four people killed during the protest. They also visited the areas that are mostly affected.
Vehicles were stoned and the municipality’s property was destroyed, some burned, when the residents took to the streets and barricaded them with rocks and rubble early on Monday.
The Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department admitted later on Monday that one of its officers was responsible for the death of one person. However, it said an investigation will be set up to determine the circumstances surrounding the death.
Among other things that triggered the protest was Campbell’s failure to honour an invitation to personally address the residents’ grievances in a mass meeting. The grievances include a flat rate for the electricity and water bills.
After spending days in the dark as a result of the violent protest and cable theft, the residents of Thembisa have been informed that electricity will likely be restored by 9pm on Thursday.
So the strike sa ko #Thembisa is affecting all of us… Been on this que for over 20minutes waiting for a taxi 😭😭😭😭😭😭
— LeeAries (@LesegoAries) August 2, 2022
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