Burnt Tembisa municipal building Picture: Lerato Bruno Nonkonyane
Residents of Tembisa in Ekhuruleni incur more financial costs after they had burnt down their municipal buildings on August 1 2022. The residents have to now go to the nearby town of Kempton Park.
Some residents were protesting against electricity costs, high rates and taxes and demanding to see the mayor. Protests turned violent and the Tembisa Customer Care Centre was burned.
Following this fire rioting that took place last month Tembisa, law-abiding residents of the township now face a new challenge as they now have to travel further to the nearby town of Kempton Park to pay their municipal accounts. Taxi fares have increased as a result of fuel price increases.
Maulden Mthembu, who stays in Esphetweni an area in Tembisa, said “I used to walk to the Tembisa municipality to pay my rates, but now I have to catch a taxi to Kempton Park. It's more costly on me because the taxi fares have also gone up." Mthembu used to pay nothing to walk to the Customer Care Centre, to travel to go pay his rates, now he pays R36 for the trip there and back.
Nomusa Dladla, a resident of Tembisa, said “It has become such an inconvenience, as I now have to go to the Kempton Park municipal building. While, I’m one of the lucky ones as I work in Kempton Park, the queues are quite long and by the time I get out of there my break is over”
With more and more Tembisa residences now going to the Kempton Park municipal buildings, there are longer waiting times to get help.
With the dust having settled, it is the law-abiding residents of Tembisa that are now feeling the after effects of all the damage that was done, while some feel that it was justified. The fire has created more admin for them. Only time will tell when the municipality building will be rebuilt to lessen the strain.
