Overhills residents irate over cleaning tender
CHAOS erupted in the Kleinmond CBD as scores of residents of the Overhills township took to the streets to protest against a cleaning tender awarded to someone from a neighbouring community.
Some shops were stoned as residents barricaded the roads with burning tyres and rubble.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said public violence and malicious damage to property cases were opened. Police were monitoring the situation.
Community activist Christian Msheqo said: “There were two cleaning tenders and both were given to the same person from Hermanus. It is wrong… we want to be empowered. We want the tenders given to people from our community because there are perfectly capable people here.”
Msheqo said he was aware that the community still had to be employed by the business who received the tender, but they wanted the tender to be granted to a resident in the community.
“Many people are unemployed here; there are many people with children that need to put food on the table; that is why we want these small tenders,” Msheqo said, adding that they would be having a meeting with the municipality tomorrow evening to discuss the issue.
Area manager Desmond Lakey said protest action stared from about 5am.
“There was someone from the area who applied for the tender but he was unsuccessful. The tender cannot be reversed now because all the processes have been followed, but it is still a specification that employees must come from the area.”
Lakey said other issues brought up during the protests were floodlights for the community, land for a graveyard and land for backyard dwellers.
“These are issues we are already working on,” he said.
The DA’s constituency head in Overstrand, Masizole Mnqasela, said: “The awarding of the tender for the Area Cleansing Project, which will cost R3 million over three years, went through a fair, vigorous and transparent process and is a matter between the municipality and the business which was eventually chosen. Furthermore, there were extensive community meetings held to inform the residents.”