Scores of Tantyi location residents were turned away from a public meeting after toyi-toying protesters blocked the venue gate, leaving some councillors trapped inside.
Scores of Tantyi location residents were turned away from a public meeting after toyi-toying protesters blocked the venue gate, leaving some councillors trapped inside.
Furiously demonstrating against ward councillor Vuyani Kolisi for neglecting their area, they sang derogatory songs about him and demanded to see the Mayor.
The angry residents who disrupted the scheduled Integrated Development Plan (IDP) meeting at the Tantyi community hall on Tuesday 21 March said Mayor Zamuxolo Peter must come hear their demands or face their fury.
Council Speaker Rachel Madinda, councillor Malibongwe Khubalo, Kolisi and others were inside the hall while the protesters made a ruckus outside.
Eventually Kolisi left and residents were told the meeting had been postponed.
The protesters dispersed after Kolisi left. Speaking to Grocott's Mail on condition of anonymity later that day, six protesters said they'd planned to disrupt the gathering as soon as they found out about it on Monday.
"We have a problem with Kolisi," one resident said. "We told ourselves that we would not allow him to come and tell us about the budget when he is continuously failing to provide services to the people."
The group was disappointed that instead of coming to them to find out what their grievances were, the council members just called off the meeting.
The residents said they hadn't been confrontational during their toyi-toyi.
"We were not beating up people or damaging people's cars, we were just singing in front of the gate."
"The speaker could have come to us to find out what the problem was, instead we were just told that the meeting was not going to happen."
The residents complained that Kolisi has created a division among Fingo and Tantyi residents who are all in his ward.
They said he doesn't communicate with them and only tells Fingo residents about job opportunities because he is from there.
They claim the Mayfield housing, Makana resort and drain cleaning projects in town are examples of potential employment he didn't tell them about.
"When there are meetings about jobs he takes them to BB Zondani hall, but not us" one protester said.
They said the IDP meeting wouldn't go forward until the Mayor came to them to address their concerns.
"We are doing this because we are feeling the pain of unemployment," one resident said.
"They must tell us where to go and [get]the jobs so we can go and [get]them as well because we don't know what to do anymore."
On Wednesday Municipal Spokesperson Mncedisi Boma said the municipality was aware of the incident, but said they didn't know why the residents had been so upset.
"Our councillors were locked in by the residents who were singing songs about Kolisi, but we have not spoken to them yet so we do not know what the problem is," he said.
Boma said another IDP meeting had been scheduled for the same time at Noluthando hall in Joza. He said despite what happened at the Tantyi meeting, attention should also be directed to the other meeting which took place without any hiccups.
"We must also mention that the Joza meeting went very well. It was led by the Executive Mayor and it was very successful," he said.
Boma said Joza residents had attended the meeting together with numerous ward councillors, and the residents raised a number of important issues which they could respond to.
These issues included problems with the new grant cards, crime in their community and the 24-hour clinic set to open at the old police station.
Boma said the clinic idea is like a dream come true.
Attempts to get comment from Kolisi were unsuccessful at the time of publishing.
