March to Parliament demands homes and jobs
A NUMBER of organisations representing thousands of South Africans protested outside Parliament yesterday, calling for Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to meet demands that include job creation and action against climate change.
Marching from the Civic Centre to Parliament, the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) handed over a memorandum to the City over the needs of informal settlement residents in Mfuleni, Delft, Blue Downs and Lavender Hill.
Saftu provincial spokesperson Andre Adams said: “The struggle for housing and better service delivery in the Western Cape is a major problem confronted by poor- and working-class communities.
“Most of the people have registered for houses for more than 15 years and they are still on the waiting list.
“Our attempts to occupy open pieces of land in ward 108 in Bardale, Mfuleni and in Ward 20 in Eindhoven in Delft had failed because law enforcement had been demolishing the shacks.”
He said some home owners were ripping people off by charging them exorbitant rent. “People want to own houses and not pay unaffordable rent,” Adams said.
Hundreds of workers under the banner of the Cry of the Xcluded initiative demanded to be included in the government’s employment and investor summits.
Campaign spokesperson Motsi Khokhoma said: “We have come together in the Real Jobs Summit, frustrated and angry at the government’s jobs and investor summits from which we are excluded by the predominance of the ruling elites, excluded by the solutions that perpetuate our subordination, excluded by an ideology that cannot see beyond the market and values profit over people.”
The campaign also demanded that the government oversee a just transition to an economy based on 100% renewable energy by 2030.
Healthy Living Alliance advocacy and campaigns co-ordinator Mary-Jane Matsolo called for the government to consider an increase in the sugary drinks tax.
“There is a very big opportunity to collect revenue from the biggest culprits that are the reason people are suffering from non-communicable diseases, and one of these is the food industry. They make a huge profit,” said Matsolo.
The founder of Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies organisation, Soraya Salie, said: “The Social Development Department and police should be visible in our communities at all times.
“The government is always promising to create millions of jobs, but more and more people are retrenched every day.
“Government officials are earning a lot of money, but us voters are becoming poorer every day. Some are living below the minimum wage. The poor masses are not included in the Budget speech.”