Why does it take mass protest action, coupled with the destruction of property, to get a response from the ANC/EFF coalition government?
Let’s look at the recent protest by the GroGro community.
They made every effort to arrange meetings with the mayor and speaker, but their repeated requests for feedback went unanswered.
Despite these efforts and even scheduling a meeting at City Hall, only the ward councillor and representatives from GroGro were present, no-one else arrived.
This lack of communication directly led to protest action that caused preventable damage, loss of income, and wasted resources from the police and security services.
The ANC/EFF coalition government should not be this difficult to access.
This lack of feedback extends beyond GroGro and is common across the city.
Within Ward 40, the municipality has no contracts in place to supply water to areas without reticulation.
Communities such as the St Albans informal settlement and Platkeps go days without water, as the municipality’s limited water trucks cannot meet demand.
My appeals to the mayor and city manager remain unanswered and no clarity has been communicated.
Must every community resort to protest and damage to property just to be heard?
This sets a dangerous precedent and teaches children that violence and destruction are the only ways to get attention.
Where will this eventually lead? Worse still, these same communities are visited with free T-shirts, food parcels and a host of promises before every election, only to be ignored again for the next four or five years.
It should never be this hard to get a response from those who make decisions.
If even a ward councillor cannot get answers, what hope do ordinary residents have?
Governing is not complicated.
The DA does it very well where it governs and can do so here too when given the chance.
- Jason Grobbelaar
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.