7 March 2022
Buffalo City Metro residents protested on Saturday. Photo: Johnnie Isaac
No clean running water, unexplained high municipal bills, pothole-ridden roads and overflowing sewage were high on the list of complaints by Buffalo City Metro (BCM) residents who protested on Saturday.
The group of about 50 people marched from Quigney to City Hall to hand over a memo to the municipality.
Residents have been battling ongoing water cuts as well as poor water quality, forcing them to buy or boil their water before consuming it. Residents also complained of utility billing errors, which they say take between three to six months to resolve.
Phelisa Moshani from Ward 28 in Gonubie said sewage often overflows in the road near her house. “I’m here to demand services like other residents. BCM officials must attend to sewage leaks because it’s a health hazard for parents and our children.”
Shack dweller Nosango Wayi said there is no clean drinking water or proper roads where she stays. “We want the municipality to give us tarred streets, clean drinking water and employment opportunities,” she said.
Siphosethu Matholengwe said that if the municipality ignores their complaints, they will intensify protests.
Municipal official Luyanda Mbula came out to accept the memo and promised that the City would respond with a plan to resolve their complaints. The protesters gave the municipality two weeks to respond.