RESIDENTS PROTEST AGAINST WARD COUNCILLOR IN ENDLOVINI
ANGRY when their councillor failed to arrive at a scheduled community meeting, Ward 7 residents blocked Thambo Street with burning wood, stones and bottles on Tuesday.
The residents had gathered in Thambo Street, in Ndlovini, at 10am, when the meeting with Ward 7 councillor Mbuyiseli Yali was scheduled to take place.
However, Yali did not show up as planned. Instead, only police officials were present at the scene, who were then sent to call Yali.
According to an observer, who did not want to be named, the police returned to say Yali had not shown up as he was in another meeting. Still angry, the residents headed towards the councillor’s office at the Ingubo Centre. But Yali was nowhere to be found at his office and the protestors made their presence felt by singing.
The owner of the building intervened by phoning the ward councillor to come and address the fuming residents.
Yali eventually showed up accompanied by two municipal officials and Ward 6 councillor Mkhulisi Raco.
The demonstrators did not waste time assailing him with their grievances, speaking over each other at times.
Council speaker Vivian Maphaphu had to intervene and chair the discussion, even though her intervention led to a heated exchanged of words.
“Mama, are you going to allow Mr Yali to answer our questions?” asked a man who identified himself as Sonwabile.
He said Maphaphu did not know their problems and therefore did not believe that her intervention was helpful.
Maphaphu responded that she and the fellow official present dealt with public participation at the municipality, which the protest was part of.
Angry residents then began expressing their grievances to Maphaphu, while her colleague took notes.
Unemployment appeared to be the dominant issue. The residents also accused the ward councillor of favouring people from his surrounding area for municipal jobs.
“Mr Yali, where does Ward 7 start and end?” asked Ntomboxolo Valela. She claimed that people from her area, including herself, could not find work, whereas Ingubo residents from the councillor’s area were employed.
Some residents also complained about a lack of street lights and their streets being inaccessible to cars.
Sipho Faku, from Mapheru Street, appealed to the councillor to do something about crime in his area.
He further claimed that the councillor knew about it but deliberately turned a blind eye to it.
In response, Maphaphu said the municipality was governed by an administration and politicians (councillors). She said politicians did not deal with employment.
The demonstrators seemed to be provoked by her statement, saying that the ward councillor had used job promises in the election campaign, knowing he had no say on employment.
Maphaphu said the issues had been noted and would be discussed by municipal officials, after which the municipality would send relevant officials with their answers.