Letter of the week: Paying for empty promises

First it was complaining about the price of parking, then it was community members refusing to pay for parking and now marshals are complaining about their work conditions.

Decreasing the marshals’ salaries will not make the community pay for parking, it will rather cause tension between the community, Vusa Isipho Trading Enterprises and KwaDukuza and the marshals. It was wrong of Vusa Isipho Trading Enterprise and KDM to promise the marshals high salaries before examining whether the community would be willing to follow the system.

We do not even know what the duties of the marshals are. Are they just collecting money or are they supposed to be guarding our cars as well?

Instead of adding fuel to the fire, how about trying other ways to get money from the community, because I speak for all when I say we refuse to pay R6 an hour for parking at our own risk!

It always crosses my mind whether those who work at Vusa Isipho Trading Enterprises or KDM have ever put themselves in our shoes or if they actually pay this R6 an hour when the park their cars? Have they given it a thought that there are people who work in Stanger, Umhlali and Ballito who leave their cars parked for over six hours?

We cannot compare the fact that holidaymaker paid without question with the fact that we as members of the community refuse to be robbed of our money.

We were not initially consulted about our feelings towards paying for parking, but the system just came unexpectedly. A reason for our disinclination is that we do not know how, or how much of this money is getting to KDM.

I strongly advocate that KDM and Vusa Isipho Trading Enterprises reassess this pay parking dispute and come up with alternative parking concessions for permanent residents.

NOKULUNGA NGOBESE

Groutville