Ekurhuleni rolls out outdated fibre infrastructure despite objections from Thembisa residents

by Cllr. Selby Thekiso — DA PR Councillor in Ekurhuleni

Date: 23 June 2021

Release: Immediate

Type: Media statement

Residents of Hospital View in Thembisa have voiced their outrage over the outdated method of fibre infrastructure that the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) is rolling out in their community.

The ANC-led coalition* in the CoE, through the outsourcing of service providers, have pursued the use of tall wooden posts to facilitate the required wiring needed to connect residents to fibre internet services. This wooden post method is considered outdated, with most wiring and cabling currently being implemented below the ground surface in trenches and ditches. The residents of Hospital View believe that these wooden posts devalue their properties and are an eyesore for anyone who visits or resides in the area.

The community is not adverse to the installation of fibre infrastructure and recognises the urgent need for it in the modern economy; it is however, the method in which the CoE is rolling out this infrastructure. Further exacerbating the problem is the tension between the service provider and the community at large, which has required intervention from the EMPD who arrested six members of the community who have subsequently denied the opportunity to post bail, which infringes on their Constitutional Rights. There have since been complaints that the EMPD has been harassing members of the community accusing them of vandalising the installed infrastructure. While the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni supports the EMPD in protecting and safeguarding infrastructure, any property damage and vandalism should not be tolerated.

Despite Public Participation occurring prior to the project, no consensus was reached between the City and the community, yet the City, commenced with the project anyway. As a result, residents feel ignored and marginalised, which is typical of the uncaring ANC-led administration in Ekurhuleni.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni calls on the City to urgently engage with all stakeholders to work together for a lasting and sustainable solution. It is of critical importance that affordable and reliable internet services be provided to our communities, but these projects first-and-foremost need to have buy in from the local community.

#Time4Change

*Coalition Partners: African Independent Congress (AIC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Independent Ratepayers Association of South Africa (IRASA)

Cllr. Selby Thekiso

DA PR Councillor in Ekurhuleni