Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • GM Direct publishing break
  • “Makhanda is in shambles,” says Ward Four resident
  • Ward Two residents buy own floodlights to combat cable theft
  • A town without a playground: where do the children play?
  • Women, Politics, Power, Patriachy: A feminist lens
  • Makhanda’s Links Royal House Gaokx’aob (Chief) has died
  • What’s On – 30 March – 6 April
  • Unapologetically queer and Black consciousness approach to live performance
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»OUR TOWN»Civic»Township rubbish collection halts after vehicles torched
Civic

Township rubbish collection halts after vehicles torched

Sue MaclennanBy Sue MaclennanApril 13, 2021No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Makana Municipality has suspended refuse collection services in Makhanda’s township areas this week, after two municipal vehicles were set alight. The incidents occurred at times when service-delivery protests were under way.

In the most recent incident, on Monday 12 April, a Makana employee was forced to hand over the keys of a municipal bakkie and flee when a large crowd stopped him, seized the vehicle and set it alight. Police spokesperson Captain Khaya Tonjeni said the incident occurred shortly after 3.30pm in Extension 9, Joza, between the Mayfield housing development and eNkanini informal settlement.

Tonjeni said the man, reportedly in his 60s, was dropping of employees in the area, when a large group of people stopped him and demanded the keys to the bakkie.

When he refused, the group forced him out of the bakkie.

“He made his way through the crowd and ran towards the houses in Extension 10,” Tonjeni said.

Soon after, he saw the vehicle had been set alight by the group, which then scattered among houses in the area.

The bakkie, valued at around R110 000, was destroyed, Tonjeni said.

Joza SAPS are investigating a case of malicious damage to property. No arrests had been made by Monday evening.

A Makana municipal vehicle is set alight after the driver was forced to hand over the keys and flee on Monday 12 April 2021. Photo: SAPS

This is the second municipal vehicle to have been set alight in the past week.

The first was on Thursday 8 April, following a service delivery protest outside the Trollope Street, Hooggenoeg, electricity depot.

Residents of eNkanini informal settlement barricaded the road with rocks and burning tyres, demanding that the municipal manager tell them when electricity would be installed in the area. They said promises of electricity – the first three years ago – had been repeatedly broken.

As the protesters left around 4.30pm, a small group entered the Makana electricity supplies depot and Sugarloaf substation through a break in the fence. They ordered the security guard to leave and set fire to wooden chairs from the guard hut, before torching an electricity department vehicle.

 

The next morning, Friday 9 March, eNkanini community members gathered at the Community Hall in Ncede Street, Extension 9, where they burnt tyres.

The group then moved towards the Joza Post Office and the main entrance to Joza, where a group of around 50 demanded to see the Mayor.

Arrangements were made for Councillor Ramie Xonxa and Mayor Mzukisi Mpahlwa to meet community members in an open space at eNkanini.

At the meeting, it was agreed that Makana officials would meet the residents on Monday to brief them on the plans for installing electricity in the area.

GMDirect understands that this meeting did not take place and that the events of Monday 12 April occurred soon after the scheduled time.

On Tuesday 13 April, Makana’s Communications office issued a notice advising Makhanda residents that refuse would not be collected in township areas this week “due to ongoing violent protests”.

Residents were advised to keep their refuse bags inside their yards until further notice.

https://www.grocotts.co.za/2021/04/09/enkanini-struggle-for-power-continues/

Previous ArticleSocial media frenzy boosts school ‘spirits’ rumours
Next Article Classes set to resume as calm returns to Ntsika
Sue Maclennan
  • Twitter

Local journalism

Comments are closed.

Tweets by Grocotts
Newsletter



Listen

The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

Humans of Makhanda

Humans of Makhanda

Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

© 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.