Diepkloof Hostel Residents Intensify Protests As Joburg Mayor Intervenes

Lerato Mbhiza

Residents of Diepkloof Hostel in Soweto intensified their protests on Wednesday as they again took their frustrations to the streets.

The Johannesburg South community is calling for the government to provide them with electricity, houses and public toilets.

Earlier on Wednesday morning Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda visited the area and tried to calm the waters by promising to refurbish the hostel and fix the electricity and sanitation issues at the hostel that are at the core of their grievances.

“The City has a budget that it can channel towards the refurbishment of hostels. The budget allocated to refurbishment of hostels is in excess of R120 million,” Gwamanda told the hostel leaders and indunas while on a walkabout to assess the state of the area and to speak to community members.

The residents have been complaining that they had been waiting for RDP houses which they had signed up