Newlands East residents are protesting against high water and electricity bills. Picture: Tumi Pakkies/ Independent Newspapers
Durban — Newlands East residents held a protest on Wednesday opposing the electricity and water bill tariffs increases which the eThekwini Municipality is set to impose.
Protest organiser and representative of the Newlands East Interim Crisis Committee, Graham Gaines, said that committee represented the interests of the community of Newlands East.
Gaines said a group of concerned persons within the community had come together to raise the concerns of this marginalised community. Gaines said there were a myriad social and service delivery issues that the committee wished to raise. Central to these issues was the extremely high electricity tariffs and the recent increase in the monthly municipal statements.
“Newlands East is a marginalised community that comprises several senior citizens who rely solely on the state’s monthly pension.
“This sector of the community provides for the immediate family. Unemployment within the community is at an all-time high and is likely to continue.
“Both factors impact heavily on resources and the added financial demands by the municipality has become a challenge for members within the community,” Gaines said.
On behalf of residents, the committee issued a memorandum with the following demands:
At the time of writing it was not certain if a representative from the municipality received the memorandum.
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