By Prudence Nhavingo
Freedom day is the day where all South Africans should celebrate their freedom, but it turns out to be a day of anger for student who lives at a student accommodation named Little Manhattan in Pretoria West as they spent two days without electricity.
They experienced loadshedding from the 26th of April at night until on the 27th of April as result student decided to take the matter onto their own hands by striking. Tires were burnt, tress were cut down and large stones were collected and used to block WF Nkomo street, no cars were allowed to pass only the ambulance from Kalafong Hospital were allowed to pass.
Motorist were not happy about the blocking of the road as some tried to force their way, some fought with the student, and some tried to negotiate with the students to open the street, but nothing was going to stand in their way or change their minds even the presence of the one police van that was there.
“I do not understand why they are involving us in the matters of electricity or load shedding as we are trying to do our job which we cannot do because the student decided to block the road instead of fighting their resident manager and force him/her to contact Eskom or Tshwane to bring back their power,” said one of the taxi drivers, Bongani Mtshali.
During the strike many taxis, car, uber delivery cars and scooters were chased away by students and they had to take a different way to reach their destination, as a results many people’s plans were delayed, and business were disrupted too as those who had to deliver food to other student were chased away and promised violence.
According to one of the students who were striking they need electricity so they can be able to prepare for their upcoming tests, reach deadlines of assignments, to cook, to bath and attend classes as there is no hot water during the power cuts, all that cannot be done without electricity.
Students promised to strike until they are heard and will stop once the electricity is restored. During the cause of the strike students ended up tiring apart poster of the 2024 elections candidate and they kept on promising that they will not take part or vote in the upcoming elections in May 2024 because South African political leaders keep on making empty promises of ending load shedding.
More students and other residents of Little Manhattan joined the strike and their electricity was later on restored, they ended the strike as the finally got what they were asking for and cleared the road.
