Comet residents demand immediate action
Residents of Comet, an old mining village know as Comet Village, told authorities on Monday, February 24, that they can not wait any longer for better services.
They have vowed to take to the streets again if their demands are not met.
According to infuriated residents, multiple years have gone past after they approached the municipality asking for help and better service delivery.
“Despite a number of marches and handing over of memorandums to the municipality, nothing has changed,” said Sibusiso Ndlovu, a resident.
“The local government has failed us with constant lies and no action to back their promises.”
Residents claim that the municipality had previously made promises of buying the land, and then build RDP houses for them, but this never materialised.
The people of the area decided that they have had enough after all these years of empty promises. “We can’t wait any longer. Demonstrating is the only way to make our voices heard,” said a community leader who declined to be named.
Some of these residents say that they were born in the area and they are now grandparents, but never received any services or benefited from the local government.
The fed up residents displayed their frustrations on Rondebult Road on Monday, February 24, barricading the road with rocks, tree branches and burning tyres, protesting against their planned eviction and lack of services in the dirty dilapidated property.
They prevented anyone from entering or leaving the area, including school children and those who wanted to go to work. Some of the pothole-riddled roads leading into the area were also barricaded with massive rocks and stones.
Residents say that despite the fact that the private owner of the land (Living Africa Properties) had called for them to be removed, they will not go.
“We have been here for many years. We were born here. We are not going anywhere, and we can’t continue suffering like this without water and electricity,” says Ndlovu.
Community leaders also accused the municipality of refusing to pay the owner of the land, a move that would allow government to develop the area for the residents.
Just after 10am, police used rubber bullets and a smoke bomb to disperse the angry crowd. The crowd who had shown no sign of backing down escaped, but after a few minutes, they returned to the spot and retaliated by pelting stones, bottles and other objects at the police, who were still firing rubber bullets at them.
A Grade 12 pupil Tandazo Xoliswa was caught in the line of fire, and suffered a deep gash to his forehead. It is still unclear what hit him, but residents and the boy’s family insist that he was hit by a rubber bullet fired by the police.
Just before noon, mayoral committee member Mthuthuzeli Siboza arrived to address the angry crowd. He promised them that all their demands will be attended to.
The Advertiser has approached the property owners, Living Africa, for comment, but they have not yet responded.
In the past, Living Africa confirmed that they have given the municipality the opportunity to buy the land from them.
During the protest, one person was arrested for allegedly assaulting another resident, who wanted to go to work, early in the morning.
The injured Tandazo was on Wednesday morning, February 26, still in hospital even though under arrest for public violence.
