Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Glenville Fransman.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in JB Marks condemns the violence and destruction of property in Promosa and call on the municipality and SAPS to restore law and order without delay.
Since the early hours of yesterday morning, residents from Extension 4 and Marikana blocked roads and burnt tyres at the entrances to Promosa and the municipal dumping grounds.
The protest started the day before, after the Scorpion Community Safety Group apparently attempted to prevent some residents from making illegal electricity connections and alerted the police.
The suspects allegedly retaliated against the efforts by the Scorpion Group to prevent criminality by torching the vehicle belonging to a leader of the group.
Some residents are currently without electricity supply because of the protests, and this makes it difficult for municipal officials to enter Promosa and attend to the electricity problems in the area.
Residents cannot exit the area and obtain necessities, as shops are closed for business in a bid to prevent looting.
The people who are suffering the most from this destructive behaviour are mainly law-abiding citizens and families who have been unable to go to work.
The DA has continuously raised the issue of illegal electricity connections and demanded that the JB Marks Municipality act against this illegal practise which poses a significant safety risk, exposing perpetrators and residents to potential electrocution as well as robbing the municipality of much-needed electricity revenue.
If the JB Marks Municipality did its job to ensure that action is taken against people who illegally connect electricity points to the grid to steal electricity, these violent protests could have been avoided.