The newly established Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) lambasted Makana Municipality for lack of professionalism after the municipality failed to notify them formally about a meeting.
The newly established Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) lambasted Makana Municipality for lack of professionalism after the municipality failed to notify them formally about a meeting.
On Tuesday UPM convenor Ayanda Kota instructed the mayoral committee to write a letter inviting them to another meeting where the municipality will address the issues contained in a memorandum they submitted recently.
Last month the UPM submitted a memorandum to the municipality raising demands around lack of housing, water and electricity and the abuse of women and children. The municipality had called the meeting to discuss the memorandum but did not inform the movement what the meeting would be about.
The UPM refused to proceed with the meeting until its leaders had been formally notified about the agenda.
Thuleka Ngeleza, head of the council’s corporate services portfolio committee, apologised for not notifying them “in writing” about the meeting’s agenda and shifted the blame to municipal officials who only called the movement’s leadership a day before the meeting.
Ngeleza, who was chairing the meeting, pushed for the municipality to address “some of the issues” contained in the memorandum despite objections from the movement.
“Some [municipal]directors have prepared answers to some issues which were raised in the memorandum,” maintained Ngeleza as she prepared to hand over to corporate services director Thabiso Klaas.
However, Zamuxolo Peter, head of the land and housing portfolio committee agreed with the UPM that they only knew about the meeting the day before. He added that he had not seen the memorandum yet.
“Let’s do things right,” he advised his colleagues, “as an institution we are not ready to come up with answers.” He said that before such a discussion the mayoral committee will have to sit down with everyone in the directorate so as to achieve some common understanding of the issues.
Nombulelo Masoma, head of economic development and tourism portfolio committee, supported Peter adding that the mayoral committee had not discussed the memorandum with the UPM. The meeting was adjourned until next Thursday.
During the meeting Ngeleza attempted to kick a Grocott’s Mail reporter out of the meeting but the movement’s leadership explained to the councillors that in line with practices of “participatory democracy” all the movement’s meetings are held in public.
“I know that this culture may be unfamiliar to you politicians,” explained Xola Mali, one of the leaders. “However, you should get used to the idea of having the media in all our meetings and activities.”
