Durban ward councillor’s mobile office overturned by angry residents

On Friday, protesting residents from eNkanini, outside Durban, overturned the mobile office of their ward councillor. Photo: Tsoanelo Sefoloko

On Friday, over 200 residents from eNkanini, demanding to speak to their ward councillor, picketed outside his mobile office in Bonela for three hours and then overturned the structure.

The protesters are from an informal settlement about ten kilometers from Durban in ward 30 of the eThekwini Municipality. Most are originally from Mayville and Cato Crest. They said they have been living without services since 2017. They also want speed bumps in the road passing the settlement. This comes after a child was hit last year by a car and died.

Resident Nompilo Ngubani said they are dissatisfied with the councillor’s response to their demands.

“We will fight up until Jesus comes back, because the councillor doesn’t help us with anything … We voted for him to bring services to our area, not problems,” said Ngubani.

Echoing similar sentiments about the councillor, community leader Thobekile Ndovela said eNkanini has over 900 households.

Ward Councillor Warren Burne (DA) told GroundUp he received a call that people were picketing outside the gate of his office. “While I was planning to attend, the police instructed me that I must not come because the group of people are angry and they have even turned over my portable office.”

He said eNkanini needs tap water, electricity and sewers. He said households had been enumerated by the department of human settlements in preparation to install electricity in the area.

Support independent journalism
Donate using Payfast