Protestors demonstrate their dissatisfaction at municipal building in Standerton
According to them, they have made continuous efforts to communicate, to no avail.
The unemployed in Lekwa gathered in front of the main municipal building in Mbonani Mayisela Street on February 22, with a memorandum to be handed over to Mayor Delani Louis Thabethe, as well as to Bruce Moyo, general manager at Tutuka Power Station.
Protestors in the morning carried placards depicting their grievances. SAPS and the traffic department were quickly on the scene.
The Standerton Advertiser received their memorandum in which a strongly-worded appeal was made for assistance.
According to them, they made continuous efforts to communicate, to no avail. They felt compelled to document their grievances formally, in the hope of getting the attention it warranted.
“We believe in resolving problems by addressing them head-on, hence, we ask you to investigate this matter earnestly,” the document read.
“Our experience indicates claiming to prioritise the unemployed of Lekwa is one thing, and ensuring its execution is another.”
Their grievances are as follows:
• Dissatisfaction with the selection and verification of management at the Eskom hub accompanied by the Lekwa Economic Development (LED) employment structure.
• No communication on the movement of the Eskom-hub database and how candidates are selected for employment.
• Discontented with the chairperson of the LED employment sector.
• An allegation that Eskom is not training grade assistants to become more advanced, saying Eskom needs to rectify their skills development programmes. This will reduce the need to fetch artisans from outside Lekwa.
• Aallegations that Eskom does not advertise construction work or communicate about it accordingly.
• An allegation that tender information is not properly exacted, with no circulation of bidding.
• A demand for corporate social investment moderation on 30% as per law at Eskom and water plant projects.
• An allegation of nepotism and bribery in Eskom with its contractors and sub-contractors, which leads to an increase in the unemployment rate.
Their solutions are:
• A vote of no confidence in the LED employment structure, saying it should be dissolved, and a re-vote should be done if the issues are not resolved.
• An updated duplicate of the database and its movement now and then on a notification board at the Eskom hub.
• The notification board must also communicate new upcoming projects.
• Administration of the Eskom-hub and its management must be dissolved, because of alleged unfairness and dishonesty.
• Seventy percent of the Lekwa community to work at Tutuka Power Station, inclusive of skilled labour.
• A circulation of the bidding for tenders.
• A request for two community members to be part of the verification team. The newspaper contacted Lekwa’s communications manager, Lubabalo Majenge, on February 23, enquiring whether the mayor had received the memorandum.
Majenge said the memorandum was received by the MMC for Planning and Economic Development, Thabo Sebiloane, and Eskom representatives. He added the mayor was out of town.
