Jozi@Work spat spreads
MORE VIOLENCE: PROTESTERS WANT JOB CREATION PROGRAMME BACK
New DA mayor shut it down saying it was operating as an ANC patronage network.
Mayor of Johannesburg Herman Mashaba cancelled the opening of the R22 million River Park Clinic in Alexandra after protesters blocked roads around the precinct yesterday.
They were from the city’s multimillion-rand job creation programme, Jozi@Work, which Mashaba shut down after taking over the administration of the city last year. He said the programme was being used to enrich a few members of the ANC patronage network.
The protesters burnt tyres and brought traffic to a halt around the clinic.
On Monday night, Mashaba circulated an anonymous text message on Twitter which called on residents to oppose the protesters at the opening.
“ANC plans to disrupt the opening of River Park Clinic tomorrow. @GwedeMantashe1 [ANC secretary-general] @PaulMashatile [Gauteng ANC chairperson] must show leadership and intervene,” Mashaba tweeted along with the text message.
The city’s Jozi@Work programme was designed to allow communities to partner with the city in the delivery of municipal services in their neighbourhoods. It was launched by the previous ANC administration in 2014.
Last week, Jozi@Work workers stormed the council chambers during a sitting and demanded that Mashaba reinstate the programme as it created jobs for the unemployed in townships.
Announcing the canning of the programme earlier this year, Mashaba said: “Each project was outsourced to a middleman, known as a capacity support agent [CSA], which effectively became a patronage network for the previous governing party.
“These CSAs would become rich overnight, while many in our communities remained without work opportunities.”
The ANC has accused Mashaba of reversing the progress it had made in job creation through the programme, and denied that Jozi@Work benefitted a select few of its members.
Nonhlakanipho Nedzamba, a stakeholder relations manager in the office of health and social development MMC Mpho Phalatse, said the opening of the event was postponed until further notice because of the protest.
“The city will issue a statement shortly. The event has been postponed.” – ANA
ANC plans to disrupt opening of River Park Clinic tomorrow. @GwedeMantashe1 @PaulMashatile [Gauteng ANC chairperson] must show leadership and intervene.
Herman Mashaba Joburg mayor