Police use stun grenades to disperse Phumla Mqashi protesters
Police have used stun grenades to disperse protesting residents at Phumla Mqashi in Lenasia after residents threatened to burn down a Joburg Water tank.
Angry residents of Phumla Mqashi demolished a Johannesburg Water tanks during a protest on 3 March 2025. Picture: EWN
JOHANNESBURG - Police have used stun grenades to disperse protesting residents at Phumla Mqashi in Lenasia after residents threatened to burn down a Joburg Water tank.
Frustrated community members said that their water had been disconnected by Joburg Water since last year due to some illegal water connections.
The group marched to the civic centre in hopes of meeting officials from the Department of Water and Sanitation.
However, the department said it had no plan to come to the community.
Community leader, Bonginkosi Mathela, said their memorandum had not changed - they want the restoration of water.
"What is happening now I cannot say is wrong, I agree with it because the government has failed us. We have sent four memorandums to government and instead of bringing someone from the office of the president and the office of the minister of sanitation they didn’t do that."
Residents of the informal settlement, Phumla Mqashi have gathered at the Lenasia Civic Centre to deliver a memorandum of demands calling for the restoration of their water supply.@Jay_Mbatha pic.twitter.com/qhayXT1J86
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) March 3, 2025