SOUTH AFRICA: Township residents protest for basic services

On September 6, thousands of residents from Orange Farm (a township south of Johannesburg) blockaded the Golden Highway, a major arterial road in Gauteng. The protesters demanded that Johannesburg's mayor address their lack of access to basic services. Orange Farm was declared a township in 1997, with the promise of improved access to basic services, but almost 10 years later there are still parts that do not have electricity or access to proper water supplies. Much of Orange Farm still resembles the informal settlement that it began as, with pit latrines a striking feature of the area. With the introduction of "cost recovery" in the delivery of basic services, the state has handed over control of the area to the private sector, making services even more difficult for the poorest to access. During the protest the police fired on the crowd with rubber bullets. Hearing the sound of firing, more residents joined the protest, constructing improvised barricades. On September 11, some residents again took to the Golden Highway in protest. Fourteen people were arrested. For more information visit <http://www.apf.org.za>.