No Services, No Vote’: Komani Informal Settlements Demand Action

More than hundred Mlungisi informal settlement residents marched to Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality office in Cathcart road on Wednesday demanding service delivery from the municipality.

Residents Gather Before March

These angry residents gathered at Mzingisi Skweyiya Hall in Mlungisi before marching to the offices, on top of their grievances is the electrification of all informal settlements as promised by the municipality two years ago.

The residents were from Nkwanca, Joe Slovo, AloeT, Marikana and Nomzamo informal settlements.

Memorandum Rejected by Protesters

At the offices, when mayoral committee member Zukiswa Ralane came to take the memorandum, they turned her away, demanding the speaker Noluthando Nqabisa to come and collect the memorandum.

They told the officials who were with Ralane to go back into the offices and wait for them to call them.

While they were singing outside, the residents some carried placards written, “we demand service delivery or we will not vote” and “All we want is service delivery”.

The residents also demanded to be allocated sites where they will be able to build their own houses as they claimed the municipality failed to build them houses for the past 30 years.

Community leader Luvo Gqonci said people have been staying in these informal settlements for more than 30years but they are not receiving any services.

“All we want is sites where we can build our own houses, water, toilets and electricity,” she said.

Electricity Promises Unfulfilled

Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

Marikana community leader Baxolele Bango said they have been promised electricity for two years but nothing has been done.

“Instead municipal officials came to the informal settlements to demolish them and cut our illegal electricity connections,” he said.

According to Bango, the trucks that bring water to the informal settlements come with water that has baby napkins in it.

“All we want is for the municipality to come to us and bring services to the people. The destitute list needs to be made public and those in the list which include the elderly and disabled people to be prioritised when building houses,” he added.

Alleged Illegal Demolitions

Bango alluded that on September 27, 2025, municipal officials went to informal settlements demolishing them and cutting off their electricity.

“When we followed that up, we found out that the leaders were not aware of the demolishing and the cutting off of electricity which was done by a certain municipal official without even consulting or proper documentation,” he said.

The residents gave the municipality seven days to respond to their grievances.

Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality Chief Whip Nombuyiselo Ndlebe who came to accept the memorandum said they will look into the issues raised by the residents as the municipal Troika (mayor, Chief Whip and speaker) and respond to the residents.

While responding to the residents, Ndlebe received a message from mayor Madoda Papiyana confirming that he will be available on Thursday to respond to the grievances.

He asked the residents to meet at Thobi Kula Indoor Sport Centre on Thursday at 12:00.