protest – Match v

Pretoria – About 10 buses packed with protesters from Mabopane, Winterveld, Klipgat and Ga-Rankuwa have descended on the Old Putco Depot in Marabastad on Monday morning.

The 500 plus protesters are gearing up to march to Tshwane House to hand over a memorandum to executive mayor Solly Msimanga. They are singing and chanting while waiting for more protesters to join the march.

Tshwane Metro Police and the SAPS are keeping a close eye on the protesters. Spokesperson for the Baagi Concerned Forum David Ratladi Baagi said that the communities of Ga-Rankuwa, Mabopane, Winterveld and Klipgat pay a reduced rate for services to Tshwane and the Soshanguve community pays a higher rate.

But now the City of Tshwane intends raising the communities rates to equal that of Shoshanguve. ” We as the community of Mabopane, Winterveld and Klipgat were not consulted,” he said.

Tshwane Metro Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said affected streets will include Eskia Mphahlele, Struben, Thabo Sehume and Madiba streets.

By: Pretoria News

Pretoria – Close to a thousand protesting residents of Gomora informal settlement in Pretoria West have battled with police since the early hours of July 13, 2017 on Thursday morning.

Police fired hails of rubber bullets, dozens of tear gas canisters, and stun grenades in a bid to keep the hostile protesters at bay.
Protesters returned fire with slingshots and threw stones at police Nyalas and members of the Public Order Policing on the ground. They also chased after journalists, pelting them with stones.

It was still unclear what the protest was about, but they called for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Paul Mashatile to address their issues.

“We are going to kill you guys,” a protester shouted.

Several roads were blocked with burning tyres and stones.

A police contact said that more than 1 000 protesters had caused “complete chaos” since the early hours of Thursday morning.

‘We are fed up’

Residents from Gomora have demanded that Mashatile address their issues of service delivery.

One resident who did not want to be named, said they were promised basic services such as electricity, tarred roads, water and sanitation.

“We are fed up and want the MEC who promised us service delivery,” said one resident.

Another said they have had many community meetings to find a way to get government to address their needs.

Police spokesperson Constable Tumisang Moloto said several roads were blocked and four cars and a truck were torched by protesting residents.

Source: News 24
Author: Alex Mitchley