GALLERY and VIDEO: Protesters shut down construction in Brixton
Brixton – The protest on the morning of 16 July at Brixton is delaying the project of upgrading roads and implementing cycle lanes in Ward 69.
Some angry residents of Brixton shut down a construction site on 16 July, citing that the contractor had hired people from the other wards.
They protested in the morning, forcing the site to stop operation.
This means that the project of upgrading roads and putting cycling lanes in Ward 69 from Langlaagte to the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Campus could be delayed.
“We want local people to be hired on this project. They have submitted their particulars and the contractor has employed people from Ward 58,” said resident Itumeleng Motlhasedi.
He alleged that the company was paying the labourers lower rates compared to other contractors.
“The project will not continue until our challenges are solved. They must give us feedback within seven working days, if not, the operation will not continue,” Motlhasedi emphasised.
One of the residents, Thomas Sepego said it was not fair, for the contractor not to employ them] considering that many young people in the area are unemployed.
“They have hired people from Tembisa, Soweto and others in Ward 58,” Sepego complained.
Shaheer Kadir, the site manager of Kingsway Civil said irate residents from Ward 69 approached him in the morning and demanded the site to completely stop operations until their problem was solved.
“They forcefully closed my site and demanded that we should recruit people from their ward,” Kadir said.
He explained that the company allocated a Community Liaison Officer (CLO) who then recruited labourers for them.
“Today we found out from them (residents) that this whole process was not done accordingly. They are also disputing our rates and we were authorised to pay like that by the Joburg Development Agency (JDA),” complained Kadir.
He added that he could not change the payment rates since they were authorised by JDA.
“I told them that I will engage the JDA and strive to solve this problem but they won’t even allow me to send my safety officer to the site,” he concluded.
JDA spokesperson Susan Monyai said she would only be available for comment on 17 July.
Details: Kingsway Civil 011 496 1754; Itumeleng Motlhasedi 071 536 3407.
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