Siyabonga Sithole
Leader of the Pimville Community Forum and member of the Operation Dudula Movement, Thabang Moloi has urged Soweto residents to come out in numbers and join their march to the Mayors office on Tuesday, 21 June 2022.
Moloi who in the past week has been lobbying the community of Soweto with a series of meetings across the township took to Diepkloof Zone 1 on Saturday where he encouraged residents to unite behind their march to Mayor Mpho Phalatse following her recent visit to Pimville after the killing of Kgomotso Diale in April.
The march forms part of the community's commitment to root out cable theft and other issues faced by the residents of Pimville and the rest of Soweto with the organisers expected to hand over a memorandum of their demands to the mayor.
On Saturday, in one of the meetings with the community of Diepkloof next to Diepkloof Youth Centre, Moloi told those gathered that strength lies in numbers if change is to happen in Soweto.
"On Tuesday, we are marching to the mayor's office. We need to show the mayor that we are serious about the issues affecting the people of Soweto. We are tired of being made to feel like second class citizens in our own township.
The issue of cable theft and electricity supply which affects most of you around here must be fought. These issues are not only about us, the elders, but are about our children who will continue to suffer if we do not stand up and flight.
The mayor and those in leadership positions are there because of us and we should not be afraid to confront them," Moloi said.
Moloi added that it is important for residents of the township to show up on Tuesday if change is to be realised for all the people of Soweto.
"I know women and older people will not disappoint us on Tuesday as they are always at the forefront of our struggles. But we need men and young people to join in numbers as this march is important so I am calling upon you men and young peoples to make it your mission to join us. The mayor has shown that she is not taking our issues seriously and we need to make sure that we go out in big numbers to show her that we mean business as the people of Soweto," he said.
The march to the mayor's office comes after the community of Pimville marched to Chicken Farm informal settlements where a confrontation with alleged cable thieves resulted in the death of Pimville community member, Kgomotso Diale being killed by alleged cable thieves while another member of the alleged cable thieved was reported to have been shot by his own accomplices.
Following this, the mayor visited the community with minister of police Bheki Cele and MEC of community safety, Faith Mazibuko and other stakeholders called a community imbizo to discuss issues affecting residents of Pimville.
Speaking to this newspaper, police spokesperson, Mavela Masondo said members of the public order policing will on hand to monitor the situation to ensure no vandalism of infrastructure takes place.
"Everybody has the right to much as long as they are not violent and unarmed. Members from public order policing will monitor the march," he said.
Xolani Fihla of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) added that the march by the Klipspruit community forum has been approved by the city of Johannesburg.
"The JMPD is aware of an approved march by the Pimville/Klipspruit Forum who on Tuesday, 21 June 2022 will be handing over their memorandum over to the office of the mayor in the City of Johannesburg addressing the issue of informal settlements surrounding Soweto and electricity issues.
"The JMPD will be deployed to monitor the march and affected streets. Motorists are advused to avoid affected streets and use alternstivr routes such as Queens and Melle streets in Braamfotein," Fihla said.