Communities demand services involvement
KWASOKHULU, KwaMthethwa and KwaMbonambi community members marched to the uMfolozi Municipality on Thursday to hand over a memorandum of grievances.
Residents demand the recognition of emerging businesses and road upgrades in the area, and also wanted the municipality to withdraw from hosting the weekend’s Siyabonga Sangweni sport tournament in KwaMbonambi because local emerging companies were not benefitting from the event.
The tournament went ahead. One of the protest leaders, Nhlakanipho Cele, said they did not see the need for their municipality to sponsor the event because the community was not benefiting at all.
‘We believe that they should rather use the money to provide housing and other infrastructure for poor people
‘This tournament has failed to produce any player of note advancing to elite leagues in the country.
‘We don’t have anything against Sangweni himself. We know he was a good player representing big teams and even the national team, Bafana Bafana, but this tournament is not helping anyone.
‘Our demands are that if they continue to sponsor this tournament, they must utilise local companies to provide services such as catering, ablutions and sound systems, so that the local community can benefit,’ said Cele.
He accused the municipality of hiring companies from outside the area.
uMfolozi Mayor Simangaliso Mgenge said they would respond to the memorandum today (Monday).
‘We have also schedule a meeting with the communities on Friday, in which the national and provincial Human Settlement departments and King Cetshwayo District will participate,’ said Mgenge.