Mayor a no-show at anti-crime and drug protest march

eTHEKWINI Mayor, James Nxumalo has replied to accusations that he snubbed a group of concerned residents who took part in a march against crime and the problems surrounding whoonga addicts living in King Dinuzulu (Botha’s) Park on Saturday when he failed to turn up to receive their memorandum listing their concerns and demands.

City spokesman, Thabo Mofokeng, said the misunderstanding was regrettable. He said the office of the Mayor had not been alerted to any request for him to receive the memorandum from the protest march on Saturday. “Had we been aware of such a request, the Mayor would have sent his representative to receive the memorandum, as he always does in similar situations whenever he is not available. The Municipality respects the right of citizens to voice their concerns in a peaceful manner and fully support constructive activism by civic society,” he said.

The march was led by Umbilo CPF and supported by residents and community groups who were disappointed to find no official available to receive their memorandum at city hall. The memorandum was eventually handed to a policeman on duty at city hall at the time.

Ben Madokwe, Umbilo Community Policing Forum chairman, said the no show by the mayor showed that he did not take the community’s concerns seriously.

DA ward councillor Nicole Graham accused the city of failing to acknowledge the needs of residents.

She said earlier this year, city manager Sbu Sithole had let the Save Our Berea organisation down by not attending its second monster meeting, despite saying he would address residents at the meeting months before.

Graham said residents, who were faced with serious issues, were not being heard and the municipality was not being accountable to them.

Cheryl Johnson from Save Our Berea, said residents were tired of being ignored. “The march on Saturday was significant in that it rubbished the Chairman of the Town Planning committee, Velile Lutyeko’s recent claim, that ‘whites are still living in the 1950s and are trying to preserve their privileged way of life’. Residents from Albert Park, Warwick Triangle, Glenwood and Musgrave marched as one unified body to City Hall. Regardless of class, colour and creed, we are all being robbed and harassed and terrorized in our homes and on our streets. We want the municipality to shut down the drug dealers, remove vagrants and addicts from our streets, and enforce the by-laws. We want the City Manager to extend the Urban Management Zone to our areas. Security firms protect eThekwini city officials. We, the ratepayers, pay millions for it. Yet we are given no protection from the Municipality and when we ask for it, we get ignored. When will City Hall listen to us?”

Buhle Mjoli of Albert Park, who was among the marchers, said he hoped the municipality would help addicts go back to their homes. “They told us in a meeting with the intervention programme that they can’t go home because they had committed petty crimes there and were in trouble, so I believe that this intervention programme needs to help sort out these issues so they can return to their homes,” he said.

Mofokeng said the concerns raised by the community were genuine and the municipality was taking action to address the situation of vagrancy and loitering especially in the City Centre.

The Qalakabusha intervention programme was started by the municipality to assist vagrants by offering them assistance to help them fight their drug addiction and where possible, reunite them with their families. A number of vagrants have already taken up the offer of assistance and are utilising the services of NGOs that are partnering with the municipality.

“On the other hand, our Metro Police have intensified their enforcement activities to ensure the safety of citizens. The municipality is committed to working with all stakeholders to address the situation. The municipality will study the memorandum and respond accordingly.”