In a drama-filled morning in Mdantsane NU9, ward 30 residents staged a protest that spanned 3km leading to their ward councillor’s house.
Traces of rubbish, buckets of faeces, and burnt tyres could be seen at every street corner from Qumza Highway to ward councillor Nomonde Moyikwa’s house, where the crowd stood outside baying.
More than 100 fed-up residents from NU9, Hani Park, Cuba, Holomisa Village and other parts of Mdantsane that make up ward 30, demanded that she remove herself as their councillor. They called her efforts “useless”.
A fire truck, BCM law enforcement officers, as well as members of the SAPS followed behind the protesters, putting out fires and trying to restore calm in the community.
Protesters accused Moyikwa of repeatedly hiring the same people for employment opportunities, drinking away money intended for service delivery, being rude and malicious towards them, and not responding to their needs and demands.
An angry Azania Jacob said they were tired of Moyikwa’s “empty promises… She must get off her seat so that people who’ll actually deliver services to us step into office. It’s a battle now, and she’ll step down whether she wants to or not.”
Asekho Mangesi said: “She gets drunk on money meant for us. She’s always rude to us, and has told us to our faces that the people she keeps hiring will only stop working when her term is over.”
Law enforcement officers closely guarded Moyikwa’s home and tried to calm the angry crowd.
Andisa Mdubi said they wanted to protest when ANC NEC members were in town ahead of the 106th celebrations, but Moyikwa told them to “delay their picketing because they would make her look bad”.
“Ever since she’s been the councillor, there has been no improvement in this ward.”
Moyikwa remained inside her RDP house throughout the protest.
Speaking to the Dispatch, she refused to meet with residents, saying she needed to meet with her committee first.
“I don’t have anything to say at the moment. I still have to account to my committee, whom I’ll be meeting later on. I’ll only have something to comment on afterwards.”
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya advised disgruntled residents to channel their grievances in writing to the municipality.
“Ideally, residents should channel their issues through their ward councillor, but in this case they must concurrently formally write to the municipality, or else issues remain unsolved at communal level. Maybe we can step in and assist,” he said. — nonsindisoq@dispatch.co.za
Poo protesters march to councillor’s home
Traces of rubbish, buckets of faeces, and burnt tyres could be seen at every street corner from Qumza Highway to ward councillor Nomonde Moyikwa’s house, where the crowd stood outside baying.
More than 100 fed-up residents from NU9, Hani Park, Cuba, Holomisa Village and other parts of Mdantsane that make up ward 30, demanded that she remove herself as their councillor. They called her efforts “useless”.
A fire truck, BCM law enforcement officers, as well as members of the SAPS followed behind the protesters, putting out fires and trying to restore calm in the community.
Protesters accused Moyikwa of repeatedly hiring the same people for employment opportunities, drinking away money intended for service delivery, being rude and malicious towards them, and not responding to their needs and demands.
An angry Azania Jacob said they were tired of Moyikwa’s “empty promises… She must get off her seat so that people who’ll actually deliver services to us step into office. It’s a battle now, and she’ll step down whether she wants to or not.”
Asekho Mangesi said: “She gets drunk on money meant for us. She’s always rude to us, and has told us to our faces that the people she keeps hiring will only stop working when her term is over.”
Law enforcement officers closely guarded Moyikwa’s home and tried to calm the angry crowd.
Andisa Mdubi said they wanted to protest when ANC NEC members were in town ahead of the 106th celebrations, but Moyikwa told them to “delay their picketing because they would make her look bad”.
“Ever since she’s been the councillor, there has been no improvement in this ward.”
Moyikwa remained inside her RDP house throughout the protest.
Speaking to the Dispatch, she refused to meet with residents, saying she needed to meet with her committee first.
“I don’t have anything to say at the moment. I still have to account to my committee, whom I’ll be meeting later on. I’ll only have something to comment on afterwards.”
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya advised disgruntled residents to channel their grievances in writing to the municipality.
“Ideally, residents should channel their issues through their ward councillor, but in this case they must concurrently formally write to the municipality, or else issues remain unsolved at communal level. Maybe we can step in and assist,” he said. — nonsindisoq@dispatch.co.za
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