ELM unrest raises safety concern
The department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) has indicated fears for the safety and lives of municipal employees and for the property of the state as renewed unrest flared in Dordrecht last week.
The unrest is believed to be related to ongoing calls for Cogta to intervene amid complaints of nepotism and maladministration in the Emalahleni Municipality (ELM) which oversees the town and nearby Cacadu.
Both the ANC and Cogta have since initiated investigations into the claims.
Eastern Cape Cogta spokesperson Mamkeli Ngam said this week the preliminary investigations were still ongoing.
Upon completion, he said, the findings would be presented to Cogta MEC Fikile Xasa who would give his recommendations pending the outcome of the probe.
This would then be presented before council for implementation of a forensic investigation.
Ngam said Xasa was urging people to stop destroying state property while protesting – this after chairs and windows of the Dordrecht municipal buildings were damaged last week.
“People should instead protest peacefully and within the law. Remember that the equipment that is being destroyed will still need to serve them (sic).”
South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) Dordrecht branch chair Luyanda Saleni confirmed that protest action resumed on Friday as residents were not pleased with the outcome of a meeting with the ELM officials.
Saleni said residents in Dordrecht felt that while Xasa was conducting investigations into allegations made against ELM, the municipality continued to hire workers illegally, with nepotism being claimed.
“A Cogta representative arrived on September 6 and said they were conducting investigations. We are still waiting for the report on their findings.
“We spoke to Xasa on Friday and he said he was busy with it, but would only comment on the final report once it was completed. We were calling to tell Xasa that nepotism was continuing,” Saleni said.
“The protest started on September 7. It is not a total shutdown – schools, hospitals, businesses and roads through Dordrecht are open. The protest started after we tried to engage with the acting mayor Nolitha Lali and executive committee on how the people were employed, but our pleas fell on deaf ears,” Saleni said.
He said as the situation was not being resolved, angry people had gone to the town hall and municipal offices in Dordrecht. Windows and doors were broken. The Rep also received photos of chairs, believed to have been removed from the municipal buildings, which were burning in the street. This could not be confirmed.
“The community is saying the [illegal] appointments should be terminated and the correct legal procedures must be followed. The municipality has been closed, but others need not be punished as our main issue is against the municipality,” Saleni said.
He said the protest would stop when there was positive intervention which, he alleged, was promised by the ANC sub-region in Emalahleni municipality and the Chris Hani region.
Police spokesperson Captain Ursula Roelofse confirmed that three cases of malicious damage to property had been opened but there had been no arrests.
Arrests were, however, imminent she said.
“The SAPS is monitoring the situation. We have deployed the public order police services unit to assist us with maintaining law and order. The community is requested to refrain from participating in illegal strikes and destroying public as well as private property," Roelofse said.
According to Roelofse, the police had appealed to the parties involved not to vandalise property as that was equal to committing a crime and they could be arrested as a result.