Thirty years of ‘democracy’… but still no electricity for the inhabitants of Thembelihle

Elections will be held at the end of May, thirty years after the 1994 agreements between the leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) and those of the racist apartheid regime. For thirty years, the white capitalist minority has retained all its privi leges, while the ANC governments have denied the black majority access to the most basic services. A report from Thembelihle, a township in the south of Johannesburg:

“24 April, Thembelihle informal settlement residence were shot with live ammunition by South African Police for demanding reliable electricity.

“On the month which the ANC government declares as a Freedom month where South Africa should celebrate ‘30 years of democracy’, residents of Thembelihle informal settlement in the South of Johannesburg are on the streets protesting for electricity including other service delivery issues.

“This is another evidence of the failure of the post 1994 political dispensation in Azania where black people continue facing poor to no service delivery even when they try making alternatives to survive the whole political fraud that has left even more poor.

“Thembelihle Informal Settlement like many others in Azania are the legacy of the 30 years of ANC government which is responsible for the extreme conditions which black people are subjected to as Thembelihle (‘Good hope’) which was established in the mid 80s as effort by black urban workers in response to landlessness, however post 1994 elections the ANC government declared Thembelihle as an illegal informal settlement and ordered eviction sighting all sorts of excuses about the land which people had occupied but the people fought and resisted the eviction which even today that resistance continues.

“In recent days as we are approaching winter the people of Thembelihle are tired of the humiliation of not having electricity as an essential services not only to keep their home warm but as one basic service that plays a crucial role in their lives especially children who go to school and the workers who have to make means to survive. The ANC has refused these services resulting in people taking to the streets protesting that they demand electricity and all state provided services.

“It was in shock response when instead of providing these services the ANC government has decided to send police who are heavily armed to shoot at the innocent and unarmed black people with live ammunition as we have seen in the recent protests especially in this tenure of Cyril Ramaphosa, who is notorious for the brutal mass murder of the workers in Marikana.

“Around 20 people were shot and hospitalised while above 25 others were arrested and waiting to appear in court on charges of public violence, damage to property and many senseless accusations.

“These are signs that the ANC is not different from the National Party which also was brutal against the black majority when it demanded services from the state hence today the ANC government uses brutal force on people of Thembelihle and other communities in Azania”.

From our correspondent
Mandlenkosi ka Phangwa