The residents of Kanana Extension 15 informal settlements, outside Orkney in the North West, took their grievances to the streets on Thursday, August 10, by closing the R30 road between Orkney and Klerksdorp with stones and burning tyres, demanding RDP houses, water meter readings and toilets.
The residents said they have lived in Extension 15, Kanana, for almost 10 years but still lack essential services. They complained that their Ward Councillor Queen Mahomapelo of Ward 23 and the Department of Planning and Human Settlements in the City of Matlosana Local Municipality is taking them for granted and taking too long to resolve their service delivery issues.
Community leader Benjamin Chubane said they are tired of the empty promises they are used to getting from Mahumapelo.
"Our councillor comes to our area and promises us many services within time frames, but she needs to follow through. The previous ward councillor had done the same thing.
"We do not have roads, toilets or houses. There's also water running all over the streets in Extension 15 because of an unfinished project to install water meter readings at our houses, and no one is taking any responsibility for attending to that matter.
"We feel lost; this is not making us happy. In April, our councillor promised us that by June, we would at least have working water meter readings and an update on the housing project. We are now in August, and nothing is happening," he said.
The Member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for the Department of Planning and Human Settlements in the City of Matlosana Local Municipality, Mojalefa Mosupa, had to drop some of his duties to address angry residents at the R30 Road, where he promised them that they would soon introduce contractors who will be working on water meter readings and said he would like to apologise to the community for taking this long before giving them the feedback, and "our society needs to understand that some of the things are delayed because we are not taking certain decisions about appointing contractors. We have to wait for the provincial department".
He added: "I can assure our community that we had a fruitful virtual meeting with the Director of the Department of COGHSTA in the Province as well as the contractor appointed by the department to install the water meter readings on Thursday morning before we could come and address the community. It was agreed in the meeting that 1116 water meter readings would be installed in the first week of September.
"Two contractors have been appointed; one will install water meter readings, while the other will work on bulk internal water services because there are water shortages in Kanana. I can also confirm that before Friday, August 18, we will have another meeting with the community to introduce these two contractors," he concluded.
