As high-profile guests prepare to fly into Mthatha to attend events arranged to coincide with Mandela's birthday, the city streets collect more rubbish.
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A municipal strike in Mthatha means that, as the rest of the country gears up to celebrate Madiba’s 94th birthday, the town nearest his home village of Qunu has its roads strewn with rubbish and its shivering residents battling to buy prepaid electricity.
The strike at the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality was started by the SA Municipal Workers Union on Wednesday. They’re accusing the municipality of having hired five private security companies without consulting the union.
As high-profile guests, including national government representatives and relatives of Nelson Mandela, prepare to fly into Mthatha to attend events arranged to coincide with Mandela’s birthday on Wednesday, the city streets collect more rubbish. Full rubbish bins have been emptied all over the city and some streets, including Nelson Mandela Drive, the main thoroughfare, are drowning in filth.
Meanwhile electricity, which went out for half an hour on Friday night and was also cut for a short period on Thursday, is becoming scarce. Thousands of residents are without lights, hot water or heaters as they try to stay warm despite temperatures dropping to 6ºC to 7ºC, and winter rain lashing the area.
There are long queues in front of big retailers such as Shoprite, but it sometimes takes hours to get to the front to buy pre-paid electricity. Many other outlets are closed because the staff are on strike or too intimidated to work.
The main pre-paid electricity outlet at head office in Freedom Square is closed because of the strike, and was blockaded by workers yesterday.
Municipal manager Zama Mnqanqeni said it was sad that workers chose to strike at this time, when people would expect the legacy of Mandela to be respected. “Couldn’t they have done it in June or August,” he asked.
Although the municipality met the strike leaders on Friday in a bid to start negotiations and end the stoppage, union leaders have vowed to continue striking until the municipality fires the five security companies.
The municipality’s Samwu chairman Lwazi Madyibi said: “The municipality wants us to end the strike and start talking. But we need talks about talks.
“First the need to remove the security guards.”
Mnqanqeni said the security companies could not be dismissed. “We can’t fire the security companies as we have committed ourselves to paying them for two years.”
Madyibi and a fellow striker were arrested on Thursday on charges of intimidation, but Madyibi said the case had been struck off the roll on Friday.
While the union leader demanded an investigation into possible corruption in the awarding of the security contracts, Mnqanqeni said the contracts were fairly awarded and the union was consulted.
Mnqanqeni also said the private security companies contributed to job creation because they hired locals. The municipality deployed private security firms because the municipality’s staff provided an “inefficient security service”.
But Madyibi said there was no need to hire private security firms for the municipality’s security when municipal staff were available to do the job.
The union also said the strike was necessary.
“It can’t allow a forensic investigation into the security contracts because it will open up a can of worms. The municipality granted a fleet management tender we hear is worth over R300 million. They’ve also already paid R18m for a tender to provide CCTV cameras. Not a single camera has been installed. There’s too much corruption. And if we don’t strike, we cannot guarantee change,” said Madyibi.
Among high-profile guests expected to arrive in Mthatha at the weekend and over the next few days are Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale, senior ANC official Baleka Mbete and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
Mandela’s grandson Mandlan Mandela said he would spend Wednesday moving around the different areas of Mvezo, but other members of the Mandela family are expected to take part in activities in the villages around Mthatha. - Sunday Argus
Henriette.geldenhuys@inl.co.za