IN PICS | Community wants R380m bridge project stopped over jobs for pals

Tags

---

24-10-2024
Read : 37 times
Timeslive
Source

300 people marched to the site claiming outsiders were given work

Irate community members from KwaXimba near Cato Ridge in KwaZulu-Natal are demanding construction on a R380m bridge rehabilitation project is stopped because they are not benefiting from it. 

Led by community leader Qiniso Cibane, about 300 people marched to the site in Esiweni, west of Durban, claiming the project was politically awarded and “outsiders were given jobs”.

“We cannot have people from outside come in and take jobs which should be ours. People should be hired accordingly, not just on the basis on who is backing the ward councillor Thembo Ntuli and his ANC faction. This is really dividing the community. Sanral should not enter the political terrain,” said Cibane.

He said they were asked Sanral to confirm whether the construction project was formally introduced to the community and the identities of the project liaison representatives.

“If so, we kindly request the meeting records and the attendance register for the meeting. We are also unaware of the meeting objectives and the significance for our community,” said Cibane.

He said they had given Sanral 72 hours to respond to them, failing which they would ensure the project was stopped. 

A strong police presence monitored the march, which came after five men from the area were arrested two months ago.

Andile Jiyane, 29, Elias Phetha, 45, Nhlanhla Makhathini, 37, Sibonelo Khanyile, 37, and Thabani Nkomo, 35, were arrested by the provincial reaction task team established to curb the construction mafia.

The state alleges that on August 22 and 23 the suspects “induced fear in workers Cyril Ngcobo and Lungisani Nduli that no work would continue” at a bridge construction project in uMsunduzi unless they were hired.

Prosecutor Zwelethu Matha said according to investigating officer W/O Sizwe Molapo’s affidavit the accused were driving a VW Polo on the first day of the disruption.

Molapo said the construction project was awarded to a Durban-based company, WSM, to fix infrastructure damage caused by flooding in KwaZulu-Natal. The five were given bail of R10,000 each.

Cibane claimed the five had gone to the site to enquire about the project.

“It appears that the motive for these arrests was to silence community members and perpetuate an unjust hiring process. We want to have a look at the police statements and we feel the charges are unjust,” said Cibane.

Ward councillor Ntuli said they had only just started with the employment process.

He said the project will be conducted in consultation with the labour department.

Ntuli said he was concerned that a number of protesters were from outside the community. 

“I don’t want to cast aspersions but it is obvious. If it was for the public then this march ought not to have been arranged by a certain political party,” said Ntuli.

Among the protesters was Ntuli’s predecessor, Musa Mkhize, who joined the MK party. At the start of the march, Mkhize told the crowd they should not fear police when trying to exercise their rights.

“People are now scared of exercising right at the sight of police. This should not be the case as we all have constitutional rights. You should remove the fear of being arrested,” said Mkhize.

Ntuli rejected allegations he was involved in the arrest of the five men in August.

“I am not sure why they are they saying I was involved in the arrest. But like today I have made attempts to come and listen to the complaints of people. These people came who closed the site and I told them about a meeting which was being planned. But they did not want to listen to me,” said Ntuli.

He said on the day the accused stormed the site, he had called a project meeting which lead to some community members being recruited.

“I am not a person who encourages people to shut sites and will never encourage for them to be arrested. If anything, I even attempted to convene a meeting with traditional leaders together with the parents of the five people,” said Ntuli.

Sanral’s Kwanele Ncalane was met with a hostile reception from the crowd when he accepted their memorandum and attempted to give background to the initiative.

“The transport department appointed Sanral to be the implementing agent. I was there when the contract was given to the company. These projects were caused by flooding which often left schoolchildren not being able to get to school and workers to work,” said Ncalane.

He said the initiative was part of a broader investment which the entity had embarked on and was investing more than R50bn in infrastructure with an aim of improving community life.

“We have accepted the memorandum and made a commitment about coming back to them. They are raising issues about contracts and employment and those are issues on which we have clear policies. We have now involved the department of employment & labour to ensure issues are transparent. We also mentioned beneficiation where we tried to ensure that there was economic transformation. The 30% is part of this,” said Ncalane.

One of the protesters, Nomathemba Shange, 24, who is unemployed, said she had hoped to land a job with the project.

“I have been trying to find a job but I am not lucky. What frustrates me is how there are a handful of people who are on the site and yet we don’t know how they got the job,” said Shange.