Roads around Westbury reopened after water protest

Roads in and around Westbury and Coronationville in Johannesburg have been reopened following protest action this morning.

Scores of disgruntled residents took to the streets to protest over water cuts in the areas for the past four years.

They claim that they only get water between midnight and four o’clock in the morning.

“They had barricaded off roads to traffic and these included, Fuel Road, Harmony Street, Perth Road and Portland Avenue. Police have been deployed to the area and they engaged with residents who indicated that they wanted the mayor to address them. The protesting crowds eventually dispersed and roads are open. Officers will continue to monitor the area for further disturbances and disruptions,” says Johannesburg Metro Police Spokesperson, Xolani Fihla.

Traffic was brought to a standstill.

Local resident Glenda Morrison says the water situation is unbearable.

“It’s very bad, so bad that they sometimes don’t even switch on the water and our problem is that we have a lot of elderly people staying there and they don’t have help that can go fetch water for them. So, that is our problem and we have people with babies. I mean how can we live without water. I understand electricity we can live without but not water.”

VIDEO | Residents also complained about how the police treated the protestors.

The communities are calling on government to urgently intervene and resolve the crisis. Resident Nathan Jones says they are tired of empty promises.

“I want the government to fix it. Look, we are sitting years without water now, how long can we sit like this. If this was Soweto, they would have burnt the place down long ago but us they are putting us in vans for burning tyres. The government needs to cooperate and tell us what they are going to do to rectify the situation. Last time they were here they told us they are going to put the water on and the water was on for two days then off again so what was that, it’s just to make us feel nice, no man.”

Several attempts to get comment from the City of Johannesburg on what their plans are to resolve the situation have been unsuccessful.