Protests direct result of Amahlati failing people
Border-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) executive director Les Holbrook has expressed his discontent with the Amahlati Local Municipality leadership which has failed its electorate, who resorted to a violent protest this week.
This after Stutterheim residents took to the streets on Wednesday and Thursday in protest against the lack of service delivery in the town and youth unemployment.
The protest resulted in municipal buildings being set alight, including the Mulungisi Park retail centre in Mlungisi township which resulted in businesses closing their doors.
Holbrook said the service delivery protests were the result of local government failing the people who voted them into power.
“If promises are made, then everything possible should be done to deliver on those promises and when it is not possible, residents should be told what is going on. Thinking if you keep quiet the problem will disappear, is naïve on the part of our local and district municipalities.”
Holbrook said the burning of a clinic which was essential for residents, would affect the poor, elderly and sick who needed the facility for health care.
“Perhaps the real questions are what has been done since the last protest action when roads were blockaded and municipal infrastructure damaged? Where will the people who need the health facility go after an unthinking and unremorseful community destroyed the only facility in town?” he asked.
Holbrook said people, including businesses who were not responsible for the town’s leadership failure, were the most affected, which was unfair.
“Businesses, which have again been the innocent victims of restless communities have closed. Breadwinners who were employed by those businesses and possibly retrenched with no money to survive, will drown in poverty with their families.”
Holbrook wanted to know what would happen to those responsible for the protest and why grievances were not attended to, so as to prevent the protest.
He said violent protests which resulted in the malicious damage to property was a waste of the tax payer’s money and would not achieve anything.
Holbrook also wondered why trade unions were silent when their members were affected each time a business was closed and employees sent home without pay.
“As businesses we believe it is time that council and staff of municipalities be held accountable. After all, it is them who demand salary increments and conditions of service improvements. Perhaps one day businesses will be invited to be part of the solution, and not turned away like beggars.”