Chaos breaks out at the Rotary Grounds housing project
ALEXANDRA -– We demand that the Mayor of Johannesburg and his housing MMC come to address us as owners of the project, demands Sarah Modiba.
Tensions that have been simmering for some time at the Rotary Grounds housing project between sub-contracting SMMEs and the main contractor turned to chaos on 10 March.
The dispute is over alleged unpaid dues by the company to the SMMEs. Workers of the SMMEs and their bosses downed tools and blocked off Alfred Nzo Street between 8th and 4th avenues, burning tyres and singing struggle songs with placard messages directed at Joshco (Johannesburg Social Housing Company)], an entity of the City of Johannesburg which is spearheading the project.
Spokesperson of the eight SMME contractors Sarah Modiba of SMD Trading and Projects, an Alex-based SMME company, said tensions have been simmering for sometime over many issues which the SMME contractors have raised with the contractor over alleged late payments which have now escalated to non-payment since January.
“Each time we raised the issues of late payments and now non-payments, [the contractor] said the reasons for the delayed payments were due to non-payment by Joshco. [The contractor] claimed they were paying us from their petty cash and hence the delay and now that money has since run out,” Modiba said in an interview with Alex News.
The protesters said they had shutdown the site and will not leave until the Mayor of Johannesburg and the MMC for Housing comes to address them, as the project belonged to the City.
“We have been engaging with [the contractor], who then referred us to Joshco, but Joshco failed to welcome us when we went to their offices to demand that they address our grievances, which not only pertain to monies owed and late payment but a range of issues about site problems,” Modiba said.
Among the grievances, she said, was the lack of a CLO [community liaison officer] for the project. “This is the middleman between the main contractor, sub-contractors and project owners Joshco and the ward councillor.
“We wonder how and where do all these partners, especially the project owners and councillor get their reports from on the progress of the project and grievances from other parties if they do not have a CLO on site,” Modiba added.
Other grievances include the alleged failure to empower SMME contractors with certain funding to enable them to have a cash flow to buy materials and pay their employees.
Modiba estimated the money owned to SMME contractors to run well over R200 000 since January. “This is causing friction and confusion between us and our workers. [The workers] come demanding their wages and we are unable to provide. The next thing they think we have been paid and decided to horde that money for ourselves.
“This is not on. Can the mayor and the housing MMC go for so long without salary payments? Why don’t they put themselves in the shoes of our workers, who live on a hand to mouth situation every week…. A week without wages to them is like a full month. They can hardly put food on the table for their families.”
The contractor and Joshco officials could not be reached for comment at the time of publishing as they were said to be locked in a meeting.
This is a developing story and will be updated with comment from all parties.
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