Two Bits – 17 April 2015

The death of a land grabber/protestor and injury of three others because of a publicity stunt by the Economic Freedom Fighters is a tragedy.

Somebody – and I can only lay the blame at the door of the EFF – misled a number of Shakashead dwellers into believing they could occupy privately-owned Green Land farm. They had to know they would be forced to leave, whether by the police or by the courts.

When they were ordered off the land they took their protest to the N2 highway, with tragic results.Predictably, the EFF leaders were nowhere to be found after that happened.

The attention-grabbing antics of the EFF in Parliament are one thing. Gambling with lives is quite another.

The EFF’s occupation of land, the student rebellion against colonial-era statues and attacks on black foreigners are the symptoms of poverty, crime and unemployment.

The state of the economy, the state of Eskom, the breakdown of government, can be laid squarely at the door of the government.

What should concern all is the total lack of leadership from government.

Why has our President had nothing to say about any of these issues? Does he approve of them, or disapprove? Why has he not taken issue with his king for speaking ill of foreigners? It may be seen as impolite to correct his king, but I would venture he should rather risk that than allow people to construe his remarks as open season on foreigners. For what crime? For working harder than the locals? I would question the policy that allows them to flood into the country and look to fixing that going forward, than punish those already here.

The defacing and destruction of statues without discussion is wrong, the invasion of land is wrong. One senses that the President and his cabinet are constantly on the back foot and that their opponents are pushing these boundaries because they sense that they are no longer in full control of the country.

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As promised, I have been following up on the matter of why the Tongaat fire station refused to attend the fire at the homestead at Crocodile Creek six weeks ago.

To refresh your memory on the events: on Saturday, February 28, a fire swept through the house of Peter and Sheila Watson at Crocodile Creek, which is in Greylands Road on the northern edge of Tongaat. They pay rates to the Ethekwini Metro, of which Tongaat is a part.

So the Watsons phoned Tongaat fire station for help, as is logical. But no, Tongaat said the property was outside their area and they had to phone Ballito fire station, which is operated by Ilembe district municipality.

Ballito did send a fire tender. As it turned out, Ballito had a tender in the area anyway because they are responsible for the N2 toll road and someone had phoned in a grass fire on the N2 (which actually was the Watson’s house, which is right next to the N2). When they realised what the cause of the fire was, the fire crew continued to the Tongaat tollgate with the intention of doubling back through Maidstone to reach Crocodile Creek.

In another astonishing display of lack of co-operation by Tongaat officials, because the fire crew didn’t have any money on them, the toll gate operator refused to let them through. So they had to turn around on the highway, drive back to the Ballito offramp and from there make their way to Crocodile Creek. By the time they got there, the house was gutted.

I got hold of the media relations department of Ethekwini Metro who promised to chase down some answers for me. After a month they came up with the following statement:

“Regardless of whether the emergency call is from within or outside the Ethekwini boundary, the city’s fire department will respond to any call when asked to assist.

On the day in question, February 28 at about 11:35, a call was received by our Emergency Communications Centre call agent who as per norm should have forwarded the call to the Ballito fire station, but instead gave the caller the station’s number. This will be investigated internally.”

That was the best they could come up with. Which, to be honest, is complete rubbish.

Ethekwini councillor Geoff Pullan agrees. He confirmed that the Watsons are registered voters in Ward 62 of the Metro and pay their rates to that entity.

“He who pays the piper. . . calls his emergency services,” says Pullan.

If I were the Watsons, I would sue Ethekwini Metro for the loss of my house. Furthermore, anyone who lives in Greylands Road, Fairbreeze, Newtown or thereabouts should find out if the Tongaat fire station is going to react if their house burns down one day. Maybe they should keep the Ballito number handy, just in case!

* * *

An old Irish farmer’s dog goes missing and he’s inconsolable. His wife says “Why don’t you put an advert in the paper?”

He does, but two weeks later the dog is still missing.

“What did you put in the paper?” his wife asks.

“Here boy!” he replies.