More than 100 Isithebe residents were warned to stop violent protests because they were driving away investors and they faced losing their jobs.

At a community meeting at the Isithebe community hall last Wednesday, Mandeni mayor Siphesihle Zulu and Ithala property portfolio Keith Palmer said they were finding it hard to attract new investors because safety could not be guaranteed.

More than two years after violent protests disrupted the North Coast industrial estate in 2016, costing businesses millions, the effects are still being felt.

In March 2016 there were five days of violent protests and nine factories and a number of trucks were petrol-bombed, businesses ransacked and roads blocked with burning tires and furniture, which brought the industrial estate to a standstill.

In June that year businesses were held hostage once again for an entire week as protesters cut off the water supply from the Sundumbili waterworks that supply water to Isithebe, Mandeni and Sundumbili.

Those protests were shortly before elections and the region’s leaders are concerned that there will be a recurrence leading up to the 2019 elections.

“We are approaching another election next year. Question is, will we not face another violent protest in our area?

“It is hard to answer that question and that is why we called this community dialogue, so that we can discuss the issues we have and ask you to please stop violent protest because it is affecting the economy of the area and IIembe region and there will be a loss of employment and I believe that is not our intention,” said Mandeni mayor Sphesihle Zulu.

Palmer emphasised the issue of safety and said it has become one of the biggest challenges they were facing whenever they need to bring in an investor.

“The first question you get is how safe will my business be at Isithebe Industrial Park and it is the most difficult question to answer, judging by the past incidents we had,” said Palmer.

Besides violent protests and the burning of factories, Palmer also stressed that the issue of crime, in general, was a problem that needed to be addressed.

“Theft is some of the biggest problems we have here and that is also driving away investors.”

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