The Tembisa Community Forum in Ekurhuleni on the Gauteng East Rand has called for calm in the area after violent protests on Monday in which four people were killed.
Residents are protesting over the cost of electricity, water as well as municipal rates and taxes.
A municipal building and several vehicles belonging to the City of Ekurhuleni were also torched.
Protesters in #Tembisa are piling up tyres in different parts of the townships as they vow to continue protests overnight. #Tembisashutdown #SABCNews pic.twitter.com/NIcQIz6KnL
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) August 1, 2022
They are also unhappy with Ekurhuleni Mayor Tania Campbell who failed to show up at a community meeting last Friday.
Tembisa Community Forum’s Xolani Mnisi says the mayor and the municipal officials have now promised to come meet the community.
Mnisi says, “I am not sure whether the protest is continuing or not, but I feel the message has been heard, and i hope that things will go back to normality. As the Tembisa Community Forum we’re calling for calm and for people to go back, and let’s wait for the municipality to come to us because we met with them yesterday (Monday) they said they’re coming to Tembisa this week on Friday, to come and address the matters of the community and the mayor promised that she will here in her personal capacity along with her delegation.”
VIDEO: Residents, municipal officials give their understanding of reasons behind protest in Tembisa:
Calm
The situation in Tembisa is calm on Tuesday morning.
Ekhuruleni Metro Police Spokesperson Kelebogile Thepa says there is no sign of protests in the area.
Thepa says, “A sense of calmness can be seen within the Tembisa area after yesterday’s protest action where municipal buildings had been set alight and also having fatalities. There are no signs of protests today although roads are still barricaded with rocks. Motorists using the Tembisa route are advised to do so with caution.”
VIDEO: Ekurhuleni Mayor Tania Campbell gives an update on the situation on Monday:
