‘Gatvol’ group ends their hunger strike

CAPE Flats activist group Gatvol Capetonian has ended their hunger strike over a racial imbalance at the Labour Department office in Mitchells Plain after the department listened to their complaints. Yesterday a group of three protesters packed up their camping chairs and makeshift sleeping bags after the hunger strike was called off.

Fadiel Adams, leader of the controversial pro-coloured group G@tvolCapetonian, said he had a meeting with officials from the department last year and raised the issue of seven posts being filled by black candidates.

“Up until now, nothing has changed. We have had an engagement with the department and they promised to get back to us within two weeks. We have meetings scheduled for next week in Cape Town. If they are not going to listen to our demands, then this action will not stop. And this time we might not be so nice,” he said.

“We want the demographics to reflect that of the Western Cape. So-called coloured people are still 40% of the provincial population and when you go inside there, you will see it’s 2%. We are not saying our black brothers must be fired – all we want is for our people to be recognised in this department.

“Our young people have applied for jobs there, but they can’t get jobs. This place is already understaffed, so they need all the help they can get, but our coloureds need to be recognised here.”

Efforts to contact the department were unsuccessful.