Security must be improved
At the Ekurhuleni council meeting last Thursday, emphasis by all parties was on the tightening of security after a violent protest took place on August 26 at the Germiston Civic Centre where the council chambers are situated.
Mayor Mondi Gungubele started the meeting by speaking about this protest, which was started by a group of MK Veterans, whereby they gained access to the building and assaulted members of staff working in the building.
“People’s unwillingness to talk was what caused the protest on Monday,” he said. “The police and metro police were able to bring the situation under control and a number of the protesters were arrested.”
He said that the metro has taken this incident as a call to create more jobs in the security sector. He also mentioned the fire that was set at ward 84 Councillor Silas Letsimo’s house in Duduza.
“This was a disgusting act. Luckily, his two children, who were in the house, were able to escape,” he said.
The mayor went on to speak about the end of Women’s Month and how the march they held in Thokoza on Women’s Day was a success.
“We will also be hosting a young women in business workshop this coming weekend in hopes to expose women to the economic environment,” he said last Thursday.
“We will be visiting Duduza in two weeks in our ongoing public participation programme to see what else needs to be done and where the problems lie,” said Gungubele.
In keeping with the aim of security, he said that by June 2014, the city plans to have trained another 110 policemen.
Cope, the IPF, the Freedom Front Plus as well as the DA all brought up the fact that there was not enough security in place and that the protest should never have gotten as far as it did. They all put pressure on the metro to up security measures in the city.
“Hundreds of EMPD officers had surrounded the building and yet these people were able to access our offices. This is a true reflection of how badly our EMPD officers are managed and trained,” said Michele Clarke of the DA.
DA Caucus Leader Shelley Loe extended her sympathies to Letsimo.
“Whatever the merits or demerits of the complaint against council, it should never be individual councillors who bear the brunt of anger and violence,” she said.
Loe congratulated the city on being chosen as the city for a R2 billion rolling stock plant, which will assemble commuter trains for Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) and hopes this will create a number of jobs.
“Employment is the one and only key to chopping down extreme poverty,” she said.
