Locals demand a local
Two petitions opposing the proposed appointment of a "white Zimbabwean lady", Cheryl Segan, as the new deputy director of Finance at the George Municipality, were handed to the Municipal Manager, Trevor Botha, on Friday 10 August.
A thirty-strong group of mostly women from New Dawn Park, led by community leader Joanie Visagie-Jantjies, picketed in the parking area in front of the Civic Centre after hearing that Segan would be appointed in the position. Visagie-Jantjies demanded that Henry Mitchell, a senior official in the finance department, be appointed in the position. "Mitchell is known to our community and speaks our language and has been at the finance department for over ten years. Why wasn't he appointed?" asked Visagie-Jantjies. Isaac Felix, Khoisan Defiance Campaign George contact person, who signed the second petition, told Botha that the people of George and all the employees of the municipality reject the appointment of a Zimbabwean lady as the deputy director of Finance. "The finance department is overwhelmingly white and the transformation targets are not adhered to by Council and its administration. We demand that the position be re-advertised in the next fourteen days," said Isaacs.
Botha told the George Herald that he would appoint an independent legal consultant to investigate the matter. "A response will be provided within seven (7) days to the community members' petition and the findings will be given to Council so that they can deliberate the matter."