Chatsworth Residents Block Roads in Protest Over Water Shortages

 Frustrated Chatsworth residents protested after weeks without reliable water supply. (Facebook supplied)

by Kelebogile Matlou

Residents of Chatsworth’s Bottlebrush informal settlement protested early Monday, blocking main highways and demanding access to water after weeks of service delays. The demonstration, which occurred near the intersection of the Chatsglen on-ramp to Higginson Highway eastbound and the entrance to the Shallcross link road, caused cars to seek alternatives.

Judah Ben Hur, a community leader in Shallcross said that locals felt disregarded by ward council members and local authorities, which forced them to vent their resentment on the streets. A basic human right is access to water. However, it must be delivered in a fair manner. Because they haven’t had an opportunity to express their annoyance to the municipality, they are demonstrating. Residents feel disregarded, and ward council members are not participating.

Metro Police Captain Logan Pillay, who was monitoring the protest,explained that unauthorized water connections exacerbated the issue. “More than 500 dwellings in the informal community connected to water connections illegally. These connections leak, wasting water and leaving reservoirs drained. The municipality cut off the illegal supply to stabilize water for formal areas,” Pillay said.  

The protest highlighted the critical need for improved communication between communities and municipal authorities. Without discussion, dissatisfaction with service delivery risks growing into increasingly disruptive public demonstrations.