PICS: Tshepisong roads blockaded over power outages
Residents of Tshepisong on the West Rand, who blockaded roads in protest against power outages, have vowed to keep up their protest until the electricity supply is normalised.
|||Johannesburg - Residents of Tshepisong on the West Rand blockaded roads with tyres and rocks on Wednesday in protest against power outages.
They vowed to continue with their protests action until electricity was restored. The Protesters from Phase 7 began blocking the R558 Main Road on Tuesday evening and through peak traffic hours on Wednesday. They complained of intermittent power outages since Friday, which had left their area without electricity for most of days.
One of the protesters, Hopolang Lebina, said they have now had enough. “Yesterday the electricity went on at 10am and then off at 4pm and we were left in the dark. How much longer does this have to go on for?” he asked.
He said he believed this was happening deliberately, as electricty would be restored each time they blocked roads.
“When we start protesting they put the lights back on and then put it off after a little while, he said.
The 25-year-old mechanical engineering student also said he and other residents would block roads till the electricity connection was normalised. “We are paying for electricity and we are being treated like this which is not fair. They need to think about babies eating cold food,” he said.
Another resident, who did not want to be named, said they are being affected by the protesters. “Children are being dropped off far away by taxis and have to walk for kilometres to get home,” she said.
Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesman Wayne Minnaar said the police were doing everything in their power to ensure the roads were kept clear.
SAPS spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said four suspects were arrested for public violence.
He said he could not confirm reports that a protester died on Tuesday night after he was hit by a car that was over speeding in an effort of trying to avoid being stoned.
The Star