One person has been reportedly shot dead during a service delivery protest in Tembisa on Monday morning. It is alleged that the man was caught in a crossfire between EMPD officials and protesters.
Parts of Tembisa have been completely shutdown after angry residents blockaded some of the roads around the community with burning tyres and rocks. The residents said they are protesting against the silence on their pleas for assistance in service delivery issues.
Early on Monday, a group of angry residents descended on a municipal building in Tembisa, in protest against the high electricity bills. The protesters demanded that Ekurhuleni mayor Tania Campbell visits the area for a meeting.
Motorists have been urged to avoid major roads in Tembisa where the protests are active, they should rather opt for alternative routes as things still remain volatile. The residents complain that the households that were provided with subsidised electricity, that has now been cut my 50%, are now getting less or no electricity at all.
Cleopetra Mthethwa, who is one of the protesters, said she cannot afford the high electricity rates and blamed mayor Campbell for the intensified protests.
“She had an appointment with us, and she didn’t show up. She doesn’t care about us. She only cares about herself,” Mthethwa said.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that one of the protesting community members was fatally shot allegedly by the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers in Tembisa.