Halted bursary fund sparks protest

Students, parents invade Tshwane office

Punches flew in the Tshwane municipality in the Pretoria city centre yesterday as students and informal traders stormed the building‚ demanding answers on the halted bursary scheme introduced by the previous administration.

Officers from the Tshwane Metro Police Department’s VIP protection unit used pepper spray to force the group of about 100 students and their parents affiliated to Tshwane Barekisi Forum out of the building.

Fikile Sekwadi‚ a 32-yearold trader whose younger sister is a beneficiary of the fund‚ said she was punched‚ kicked and pepper sprayed.

Former Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa introduced the Informal Traders Bursary Fund in 2015 but the traders claim it screeched to a halt when current mayor Solly Msimanga took over.

This left 104 beneficiaries in limbo‚ despite the R740 000 raised by the traders and the previous administration which is sitting in the fund’s bank account.

Secretary of the forum Mary Ngema said Msimanga was sitting on the funds.

“When we ask why they were not paying, we are only given promises of payment that never materialise. Now they attack us. This is not over‚” she said.

Msimanga’s spokesperson Samkelo Mgobozi said they were restructuring the fund as there was a shortfall and would make an announcement soon.