Mankweng residents plan total shutdown for April 4
Mankweng residents say the total shutdown is due to mayor John Mpe's failure to address nepotism in the EPWP recruitment processes.
POLOKWANE – The Polokwane Municipality on Friday told BONUS that it would only respond once having received documents of service delivery demands, among other requests, from a group of Mankweng residents who have since recruited some community organisations to embark on a shutdown next Thursday (April 4), according to spokesperson, Thipa Selala.
The total shutdown, as it was officially termed by those who plan to bring all economic activity to a halt, comes after what they have interpreted as Polokwane Mayor John Mpe’s failure to deliver on promises made during a stakeholder meeting in late December with regard to addressing nepotism in the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) recruitment processes.
Organisers of the shutdown told BONUS that municipal representatives in charge of the candidate database continue to offer repeat work to certain candidates while others are merely overlook even though they enlisted ahead of those who are benefitting.
The rule is that contractual employment is granted in numerical order of the database, and an opportunity is given to those next in line when a contract ends.
“And that is what Mpe promised to fix after the meeting, but he has still not done so,” an affected member, Nelson Ramogale said.
The local taxi association’s chairperson, Philip Molepo signed off a public announcement visible in Mankweng taxis with requests to cease partial operations on the day.
Ramogale, however, confirmed that essential services such as schools, hospitals, police stations and the university will operate as usual.
Despite there being ample job opportunities available in the area, qualified youths are still unemployed and subsequently fall into the habit of using drugs, which in turn results in increased criminal activity, Ramogale added.
