Protesters rioting on Munsie Road. Photo: Facebook.
Yesterday afternoon a large group of protesters blocked off a part of Munsie Road with concrete slabs and burning tyres.
Upon arriving, the Newssaw the crowd had stood on the side of the road, silent, expect for one or two dressed in Mogale City employee clothing, screaming at passersby.
Police officers were at the scene, making sure no violent outbreaks take place.
When the Public Order Policing Unit (Pop) arrived, even Sector 3 Community Policing Forum members took a step back.
The police cleared the road, slab by slab, with the protesters simply staring on.
Upon speaking to one of the young protesters, it became clear the protest was not about asking for better service deliver, they are, according to the young businessman, not being given tenders.
“Mogale encourages us to open our own businesses, but they don’t give us any tenders. Now, someone from the outside is being paid to lay this pavement,” he said.
Tyres burned and concrete slabs laid scattered across the road.
“And now when some of the residents are employed by these contractors, they are being paid R150, instead of the agreed R208. In this boiling heat, it is not worth it,” he said.
The pavement is being laid next to Munsie Road on Munsieville’s side. The materials used for the building of the pavement was also what the protesters had used to block the road.
In October last year, the News reported that a mere tenth of municipal tenders are awarded to locals. Lawrence Shabalala, Democratic Alliance proportional representation (PR) councillor said, “It is shameful that our people complain at every annual Integrated Development Plan community roadshow that only a few tenders are awarded to locals. They seek advice on how to succeed at securing tenders, but nothing ever changes and outsiders still benefit.”
Police on scene said that the protesters were not violent at all.
