Letters: Sad they will be jobless . . . gran relies on car guards

As a long-time resident of Ballito, I have watched the growth of what used to be a small town and marveled at the progress in a relatively short period of time.
Ballito is now a major centre. Many jobs have been created, which is always wonderful, and with the opening of the Junction this has meant even more jobs have been created.
The car guards have always been very pleasant and helpful to me, particularly as I am in a wheelchair. They are always ready to help me with smiles and kindness and I am so grateful.
Today I discovered that the existing paid parking area will be extended so that there is no more free parking. This actually means that these kind, hard-working people will be without a job and as a result I will not be able to shop on my own.
Effectively, a number of families will now be without a regular income and I and many others who have relied on the kind help of these people will have to make alternative arrangements.
Surely the aim of building new shopping centres is to create jobs, not destroy them?
SHIRLEY CHAPMAN
Ballito

My grandmother, Shirley Chapman has been in a wheelchair for over 40 years now and she always does the grocery shopping. She has always been accompanied and cared for by the wonderful and well-mannered car guards.
I disagree with the decision of jobs for the car guards. My grandmother not only relied on them for help but also made friends during that time.
She is very sad for the huge amount of job losses and she will no longer be able to easily or happily shop on her own.
My grandmother feels terribly bad and so do I.
It is not fair to take jobs away from such trustworthy and reliable people. Our local car guards also have families to feed, clean and care for.
With no jobs, there is no money for these people, and no money means no home, food, water or a happy family.
I hope you take these words into consideration.
AVA CHAPMAN (Age 10)
Ballito

Ballito Junction Regional Shopping Mall responds:
Thank you for your letters.
We are also most appreciative of the service the car guards have provided and the process to assist them to find alternative employment has commenced. Ballito Junction now offers one-hour free parking on all levels and 90-minutes free parking for customers shopping at Pick n Pay, Game and Checkers, when they validate their parking ticket in these stores.
The mall provides designated parking for customers with disabilities closest to our entrances on each shopping level. These bays are wider, they make parking easier and provide convenient access to the shops.