The Cry of the Xcluded and Amadoda Qotho marched in Khayelitsha on Tuesday, calling for an end to austerity measures they argue are worsening public services and placing further pressure on working-class communities.
The organisations handed over memorandums to Eskom and the City of Cape Town, raising concerns about electricity outages, deteriorating roads, blocked drains and poor service delivery.
Amadoda Qotho spokesperson Sabelo Zikava said some residents had been without electricity for six months despite reporting the outages and receiving reference numbers.
“When your house has no power, people can take advantage of that,” Zikava said, warning that prolonged outages could increase residents’ vulnerability to crime.
He said the organisations also raised concerns about potholes, flooding and blocked drains, which affect road users in the area.
Zikava said the City had responded to their concerns and agreed to work with the community movements to address service delivery problems. He added that the City had raised concerns about municipal workers being hijacked while working in communities.
The organisations also criticised the relationship between residents and ward councillors, with Zikava claiming that community members often struggle to access their representatives.
The groups plan to follow up on their demands, giving Eskom seven working days to respond to their memorandum.
Zikava said the organisations would also join other social movements in a planned march on 21 October against budget cuts and austerity measures.
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