Why are the people of Estcourt trying to kill our town? A while ago Masonite was closed and then fortunately business men stepped in and bought the factory, thus saving how many jobs and people from starvation.
READ MORE HERE: Masonite sold – 1 000s of jobs saved

Now the people are on strike again and, being business people who cannot stand by and just let the people rule sound business ideas, what have they done? Shut down the factory. And to make matters worse, they burnt portions of Masonite.

Do they not see that the money that could have gone into an increase or some type of settlement now will have to go into the re-building of the factory if that is what they decide? I believe there was an agreement entered into last year or late in 2015 about what has happened now, but I think some people do not know what an agreement is and what the consequences of their actions will be.

I remember not so long ago when the workers at Burhose were also on strike on a “on/off” basis and the management of Burhose warned them and said if this does not stop we will move to another town where we will be able to function and keep going. But the people would not listen and what did Burhose do? They moved. And left many families without an income and many more had to move and leave Estcourt.
I also remember a time when the unions said to Nestle close your factories and go back overseas – I mean are the people so stupid – do they think they can live off grass and fresh air?

This is like the student that burns and breaks everything they can and then they want free education. Have they not learnt that people say what they know the folks want to hear to get their votes but they cannot deliver? And then also the money that might have been used to give the “free” education will now have to go into the re-building of the properties that they burnt down.

In the same light, how many people were educated by a Rhodes scholarship or bursaries and then they must have the statues removed of the very people who supplied the money to enable them to get the education?

If one just takes a drive to Wembezi, you can see poverty that is on such a large scale it is frightening. The filth and poverty is unreal. If the factories close down, what is then going to happen to the town? What are they going to do now that there is a problem with the social/child care grants?

Come, people of Estcourt I have lived in this town long enough to see it go from a prosperous town to the run down ramshackle ‘township’ it has become. We need to pull together – yes, together – to be able to get the town on its feet again.

Ansje du Plessis

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