Makana Municipality denied permission for a Wednesday 19 March protest march jointly planned by the Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) and the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu).
Makana Municipality denied permission for a Wednesday 19 March protest march jointly planned by the Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) and the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu).
The march, planned to start at 9am in Raglan Road, was to call for “an end to the rampant corruption in the Makana Municipality”.
UPM chairperson Ayanda Kota said the Municipality had “illegally banned” the march on the grounds that “the Mayor will not be available”.
“This is a totally bogus reason to ban the march as the mayor was around.
"Anyhow, this reason had no status in law,” Kota said.
"In terms of the law, if you don't hear from the Municipality within 48 hours of submitting an application for a permit, it then means that your demonstration has been approved. We did not receive word from Makana within 48 hours," Kota said.
"We were unable to collect our permit because there is a strike going on – municipal offices were closed because of the demonstations by workers."
The UPM and Samwu intend to submit a new application for a permit to march.
Kota said Makana Municipality was one of the “worst offenders” in “banning marches and supressing the right to protest”.
“The real reason why our march was banned is that the ANC and the Municipality are panicked about the alliance developed between UPM and Samwu since last year," Kota said. "They have gone all out to divide municipal workers and the unemployed. But there are strong personal and political connections between our organisations and our alliance is firm. We will continue to work together.”
The march calls for action in dealing with the ongoing water crisis, uncompleted roads, corruption in the Municipality’s housing programme and the lack of community consultation in development projects.
“This Municipality is bankrupt. In November workers did not get paid on time and were only paid a week after. Their provident funds and policies are not paid.
“Water remains a crisis. If people go to the clinic because of a running tummy, the nurses advise us to buy water," Kota said.
“Isn't this a form of privatizing of water? Councillors are only allocating comrades and friend in houses. Eligible people are not placed, because they don't have connections," Kota said.
