Ruth Mohlape broke down and cried as the City of Johannesburg’s Executive Mayor, Cllr Herman Mashaba, switched on the power to light up her humble shack in Slovo Park Informal Settlement today, 10 July 2018.
“Ntate Mashaba, it’s painful that some of our children who were fighting for us to have electricity died before the saw the freedom of Slovo Park. Ntate Mashaba, let it not be only Slovo Park where you assist. When communities in other areas like ours ask you to come and address their issues, please don’t hesitate go there,” said a teary Mohlape.
Mohlape was the first family that the mayor visited accompanied by the Speaker of Council, Cllr Vasco da Gama, MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services Cllr Nico de Jager, EFF PR Councillor Johannes Mosehla and the City Power Managing Director Lerato Setshedi.
Mohlape failed to hold her tears back as she told the mayor and City officials, who crammed inside her small kitchen, how for years she feared for her life each time she knocked-off late at work, having to walk in complete darkness to reach her home.
“I feared being mugged or raped as every day I tried to navigate my way through the darkness,” sobbed Mohlape. She said the electrification of her home has given her dignity as she can now be able to buy food and store it in her fridge.
Mayor Mashaba apologising to the family and the community on behalf of the government. “I really would like to apologise on behalf of government for subjecting you to many years of darkness, darkness in the city of gold, which is the biggest city in the country.”
He urged Mohlape to register for the Expanded Social Package (ESP) and to also tell her unemployed neighbours to register as well in order to receive the benefits of free electricity. The ESP targets vulnerable residents in the City such as the unemployed, youth, people with disabilities, displaced persons and senior citizens. People with different levels of need qualify for different levels of subsidy according to the City’s measure of affordability.
Gogo Mary Melane, who is a pensioner, hosted the mayor and the speaker for a cup of coffee and she told them of her many years of struggle to finally be able to boil the kettle in order to enjoy tea for the very first time in her home. Gogo Melane is the mother of the late Mohau Melane, who was the Chairperson of the Slovo Park Community Development Forum. Mohau led the forum, which was instrumental in getting a court interdict that forced the City to electrify the area.
“I’m proud of my late son that his good works of trying to bring developments to this community finally paid off,” said gogo Melane.
It was a bitter-sweet moment for gogo Melane, who spoke fondly about her son’s dream of seeing Slovo Park being developed.
