Khayelitsha residents shut down streets yesterday to protest a lack of service delivery following months of raw sewage flooding the area.
Ward 21 community leader, Vuyiseka Vayisi, said the decision was made after residents became gatvol of waiting for a response from the City of Cape Town.
“The problems with the drains started in February already and we sent a lot of emails and made a lot of calls since then so now we’ve had enough,” he says.
“It seems like the only way black people get heard is when they protest but we did not want people to get arrested so we organised a peaceful protest where we closed the roads off instead of having people break things.”
The protest started just after 6am and continued till 11am as residents blocked off parts of Mew Way at Pama Road, Japhta K Masemola Road and Aliam Road with burning tyres, stopping private vehicles and taxis from using the roads.
“The protest looks like it worked because a councillor came out to address us and he promised that the issue will be solved.
“After he left, they came to pump out the drains in the area but we told him we are giving them seven days to properly fix everything,” says Vayisi.
When the Daily Voice visited the scene, police water cannons were extinguishing walls of burning tyres.
Vayisi added: “Nobody was arrested and nobody did anything illegal.”
The City of Cape Town said a detailed plan of action will be drawn up and delivered to the residents “in the stipulated time frame”.
Mayco member for water and waste, Xanthea Limberg, added: “It is however important to emphasise that a collective effort between the City and residents is required to achieve a meaningful, long-term solution to address sewer overflows in Site B and Site C in Khayelitsha.”