Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga says Eersterust residents in Pretoria East have nothing to complain about. This comes after Wednesday’s protest by the community, demanding housing and delivery of services.
Msimanga says he has visited Eersterust four times this year already, and that their concerns are being considered.
On Wednesday residents blockaded streets with burning tyres and stones, disrupting traffic.
Residents wanted Tshwane mayor Msimanga to address them, but he never came.
Eersterust Community leader Ingle Singh says: “When he was here a month ago he made certain commitments, residents feel these commitments have not been met and as such we are calling for him to answer.”
Some residents were offered places by the city in the nearby Nellmapius Township, but they refused the accommodation saying they prefer to have houses built for them in Eersterust.
“If people are desperate for houses they will move where housing opportunities are, they cannot dictate, where housing opportunities should follow. If houses are to be in Nellmapius and there is space there for people coming from Eersterust to go, if they don’t want to go, then we will look for the next family that wants to relocate,” says the mayor Msimanga.
Msimanga also accused some residents of being racist.
“People are saying, ‘well we, as a community, are Coloured people and we cannot be moved out of this area…” that smacks of a racist classification of people that say deal with us in this manner or don’t deal with us at all.”
Meanwhile, protest action has been suspended residents say they are taking their grievances to the office of the Premier.
Msimanga insists that he will not be bullied into meeting violent protestors and is only available for peaceful dialogue with communities.
WATCH BELOW:
