Fleurhof and Florida residents have agreed to suspend their two-day planned shutdown, after a meeting with government officials on Thursday.
On Thursday, frustrated residents blockaded roads after what they said were their pleas falling on deaf ears.
All main entrances and exits in Fleurhof, and parts of Florida and Maraisburg were blockaded by protesting residents, who said they were tired of no service delivery.
One of the community leaders, Selby Leshaba, told TimesLIVE they took to the streets on Thursday, after numerous attempts to engage with government without success.
“It feels like we are forgotten by the government because we don't receive service. People drag their feet when they have to attend to our issues,” Leshaba said.
Among their concerns were a lack of service delivery which he said included pothole-ridden streets, constant power cuts, high crime and burst water pipes.
Leshabe said illegal mining was another problem in the area.
“We can't sleep peacefully at night. At any point, there are people digging under your house. We don't live peacefully because of illegal miners,” he said.
Leshaba said they had planned a shutdown in the area on Thursday and Friday, but suspended their protest after meeting Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and a representative from the office of the premier, Panyaza Lesufi.
“We have agreed to give them seven days to respond to our memorandum of demands.
“We had a meeting and it looked promising. The mayor told us he is a man of action and not words. He said he doesn't want to make promises but we will see action on issues we raised,” Leshaba said.
In the memorandum that TimesLIVE has seen, residents demanded that a 24-hour health facility be built in the area as they have to travel about 7km to get to a clinic.
They demanded that refuse be collected regularly, and that City Parks fixes all recreational facilities and provides regular maintenance.
Ward 70 councillor Caleb Finn told TimesLIVE the issues raised by the community had been raised with various government departments on more than one occasion.
“Unfortunately, recent constraints within the city has seen a general decline in service delivery.
“There are a number of issues in Fleurhof which are linked to the rapid development of housing units while community facilities and infrastructure lag. This is due to poor planning by the government which is only now beginning to catch up with infrastructure and has not started on the community facilities,” Finn told TimesLIVE.
The councillor said roads have been reopened as residents have agreed to give the mayor and premier until next week Friday to respond.
TimesLIVE
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Fleurhof residents agree to halt protest, after meeting Joburg mayor
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Fleurhof and Florida residents have agreed to suspend their two-day planned shutdown, after a meeting with government officials on Thursday.
On Thursday, frustrated residents blockaded roads after what they said were their pleas falling on deaf ears.
All main entrances and exits in Fleurhof, and parts of Florida and Maraisburg were blockaded by protesting residents, who said they were tired of no service delivery.
One of the community leaders, Selby Leshaba, told TimesLIVE they took to the streets on Thursday, after numerous attempts to engage with government without success.
“It feels like we are forgotten by the government because we don't receive service. People drag their feet when they have to attend to our issues,” Leshaba said.
Among their concerns were a lack of service delivery which he said included pothole-ridden streets, constant power cuts, high crime and burst water pipes.
Leshabe said illegal mining was another problem in the area.
“We can't sleep peacefully at night. At any point, there are people digging under your house. We don't live peacefully because of illegal miners,” he said.
Leshaba said they had planned a shutdown in the area on Thursday and Friday, but suspended their protest after meeting Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and a representative from the office of the premier, Panyaza Lesufi.
“We have agreed to give them seven days to respond to our memorandum of demands.
“We had a meeting and it looked promising. The mayor told us he is a man of action and not words. He said he doesn't want to make promises but we will see action on issues we raised,” Leshaba said.
In the memorandum that TimesLIVE has seen, residents demanded that a 24-hour health facility be built in the area as they have to travel about 7km to get to a clinic.
They demanded that refuse be collected regularly, and that City Parks fixes all recreational facilities and provides regular maintenance.
Ward 70 councillor Caleb Finn told TimesLIVE the issues raised by the community had been raised with various government departments on more than one occasion.
“Unfortunately, recent constraints within the city has seen a general decline in service delivery.
“There are a number of issues in Fleurhof which are linked to the rapid development of housing units while community facilities and infrastructure lag. This is due to poor planning by the government which is only now beginning to catch up with infrastructure and has not started on the community facilities,” Finn told TimesLIVE.
The councillor said roads have been reopened as residents have agreed to give the mayor and premier until next week Friday to respond.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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