Residents of Mamelodi have vowed to shut down the township on 8 January 2025 in protest against the rent issue.
This decision was taken at a meeting attended by thousands of residents at Moretele Park in Mamelodi West, Tshwane on Sunday morning.
Residents of neighbouring Nellmapius were also in attendance and they pledged their support for a stay-away on 8 January 2025.
The meeting was also attended by local tribal chiefs, members of the South African National Civics Association (SANCO) and Concerned Residents for Service Delivery in Mamelodi.
“We are going to meet at Maseko Shopping complex in Mamelodi West on 8 January 2025 at 8am to march to the City of Tshwane Municipality offices,” said SANCO chairperson Joseph Kgatle.
He said their demands are as follows:
1.The City of Tshwane must issue new prepaid meters to residents of Mamelodi who have “bridged” their electricity meters and do so without a penalty or fine against them.
2. A monthly flat rate of R150 for rent.
3.All rent-related debts owed to the City of Tshwane by the residents of Mamelodi must be scrapped with immediate effect.
“2025 will be the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Mamelodi Massacre and we are not scared of a repeat of the massacre,” said Kgatle.
“On 8 January 2025 no one will go to work as we have declared the day a stay-away and Mamelodi will come to a complete shutdown,” he said.
“We are going to notify taxi and bus operators about this decision and we hope they will give us their co-operation in this regard,” said a determined Kgatle.
Concerned Residents for Service Delivery in Mamelodi President Oupa Mtshwene told Tshwane Talks that the City of Tshwane Municipality takes decisions without public participation and must learn to consult community leaders.
“We have submitted many memorandums to the City of Tshwane Municipality and we are tired of the lies that we have been told by the municipality, so we are therefore asking the Mayor to scrap existing debts and introduce a flat rate,” he said.
“Stop cutting off electricity supply to households to avoid trouble from residents and make sure that people living in squatter camps pay for water and electricity services that they receive from the municipality,” said Mtshwene.
A Mamelodi resident who preferred to remain anonymous tod Tshwane Talks that his monthly billing by the municipality is extremely high and incorrect as it based on estimations.
“City of Tshwane Municipality officials have come to my house several times to check if there are leakages in my pipes but have found none, so it is baffling that my billing is so high,” he said, adding in the process that he will not pay the municipality even a cent because its billing system is faulty.
“Residents of Mamelodi must unite and fight for the scrapping of all debts by the City of Tshwane Municipality,” he said.
Another resident Morris Malape said it’s not like residents don’t want to pay their rent, but that all that they want to do is to pay for the right things.
“I am appealing to the Mayor to attend public participation meetings like the one we are having today so as to solve the rent issue in Mamelodi,” he said.
Be that as it may, City of Tshwane Municipality Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya told residents at an Imbizo in Nellmapius a week ago that the idea of a flat rate is ” an absolute no no, and that residents who have bridged their electricity meters won’t be issued with new ones as if they have done nothing wrong.”
Some of the chiefs who were in attendance were Chief Junior Makhoere and Bennett Mduli of the Mhwaduba Bakgatla Ba Lekhulene tribe together with chaplain of the chieftaincy ME Maseko as well as Chief MK Mahlangu of the Amandebele tribe.
It is important for the Mayor to attend community meetings so that the gap between community needs and the city plans is reduced.
Thanks so much for the effort you taking I support everything you are saying enough is enough maatla kea rona