Everson Luhanga
Kudubuleke owesilisa washona ngesikhathi unogada wase-Alex ogada izinxanxathela zezitolo evulela ngezinhlamvu esixukwini sabantu abakade bebhikisha ngoLwesibili ngemuva kokunqanyulwa kwezintambo zikagesi ezixhunywe ngokungemthetho njengoba zinqanyulwe i-City Power.
Ngesikhathi begcwele ngaphandle kwezitolo, abakade bebhikisha bashaye iwindi leveni ebidlula. Umshayeli obediniwe uphume emotweni wavulela ngezinhlamvu eziningi edubula emoyeni.
Abantu sebegcwele ukuthuka nokwesaba bahlakazeka, abanye abakade bebhikisha kanye nonogada bezitolo bavele bavulela imvula yezinhlamvu badubula.
UMduduzi Sithole, obeneminyaka engama-27 ubekade ekhona kubhikishwa, kukholelwa ukuthi udutshulwe inhlamvu ebivela kunogada. Akekho obikwe ukuthi ulimalile.
USithole, obaziwa ngelikaJobe emphakathini wangakubo uphuthunyiswe esibhedlela, okuthe ngokuhamba kwesikhathi wanqotshwa izinhlungu.
Amaphoyisa abophe unogada oneminyaka engama-43 okusolakala ukuthi uyabandakanyeka ekudubuleni inhlamvu edubule uSithole.
Umfowabo kaSithole uSphelele Gazide, uthe abahlali bancenge unogada ukuba angabadubuli kodwa akazange abalalele.
“Simncengile ukuba angene ngaphakathi kwezitolo akhiye isango” kusho uGazide.
“Ngesikhathi eshiya isixuku sabantu, ube esevulela ngenhlamvu ebhekise esixukwini sabantu, kwase kwadubuleka umfowethu.”
Umzala kaSithole, uLindokuhle Sithole, uthe onogada bekungamele bazibandakanye nombhikisho ngoba amaphoyisa abekade esefikile.
“Lo bekuwumbhikisho onokuthula omelene nokunqanyulwa kwezintambo zikagesi zinqanyulwa i-City Power. Asizange siphazamise ukusebenza kwezitolo.”
Umbhikisho uyimbangela yokuhlushwa ugesi endaweni yase-Alexandra eduze kwase-River park phakathi kwe-City Power kanye nabahlali bakuleli lokishi.
I-City Power, iphelezelwa amaphoyisa aka-metro kanye namaphoyisa e-SAPS, banqume izintambo zikagesi ezixhunywe ngokungemthetho futhi baphendule bathi, abahlali baxhume lo gesi ngendlela engavumelekile.
Ukunqunywa kwezintambo zikagesi ngoLwesibili kudine abahlali, abahambe baya kobhikisha emgwaqeni onesiphithiphithi kakhulu i-London Road okunguwona mgwaqo okuyisa e-Sandton noma esikhumulweni sezindiza i-OR Tambo, bavala ngamathayi avuthayo kanye namatshe.
U-Isaac Mangena osebenza e-City Power uthe: “Sinesiqiniseko ukuthi le ngozi yenzeke ngemuva kokuhamba kwe-City Power kanye nosonkontileka endaweni.”
Okhulumela amaphoyisa uBrigadier Brenda Muridili uthe amaphoyisa aphenya icala lokubulala futhi umsolwa usagcinwe esitokisini samaphoyisa nesibhamu sithathiwe.