Dann Road squatters to march to shopping centres to demand cheaper staples

Occupants of the Dann Road Informal Settlement, also known as Glen Marikana, are planning to march to various shopping centres on Monday, May 7.

The march is aimed at four of the country’s biggest food outlets, Pick n Pay Glen Balad Mall, Checkers Glen Marais (Cavendish Glen Mall), Woolworths Woodbridge Square and Spar Glen Acres Shopping Centre.

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“Ward 16 Kempton Park will hand over memorandums to stores to demand the reduction on basic commodities prices,” said ward 16 EFF branch chairperson, Isaac Mampana.

“It is our belief that basic commodities must have stable prices. It can’t be true that even though nature permits one harvest season in a year, prices of staple food such as sugar, cooking oil, maize meal and other daily foods keep on fluctuating every day of the month. All these foods are produced in South Africa, so currency can’t be sided as a factor of influence,” Mampana added.

“We chose these stores as we believe they are a leading monopoly on the food market and are doing everything in their power to maximise their profits. They are only obsessed with outshining each other on what has turned into a game for them,” said Mampana.

“Only we can bring the change as we are suffering daily from these unjust, ever escalating prices.”

The march is expected to start around 9.30am.

Mampana confirmed that the Public Order Policing Unit will be present during the march.

“If the march is legal and an application was filed, the EMPD will also escort the marchers from their starting point to their final destination. We will be joined by SAPS members and other law enforcement agencies. The march must be peaceful,” said Khobeli Mokheseng, EMPD spokesperson.

The marchers’ point of departure will be from Dann Road, Glen Marais.