Makana Municipality says it cannot provide start-up funds, and two months' food and paid accommodation for the 100 displaced residents still being accommodated in a safe zone outside Grahamstown, and that those residents must be reintegrated into their communities.
Makana Municipality says it cannot provide start-up funds, and two months' food and paid accommodation for the 100 displaced residents still being accommodated in a safe zone outside Grahamstown, and that those residents must be reintegrated into their communities.
It has denied reports that the group has not received food, and says those remaining are being manipulated by those using the situation as a political platform.
Around 50 Grahamstown residents displaced in the 21 October looting of immigrant-owned businesses are protesting outside the city hall today.
They are among a group of around 500 people who moved into a safe zone established on the day their homes and businesses were ransacked by mobs, fuelled by false rumours of body parts killings by so-called foreigners.
While most of the original group, whose origins are Pakistani, Ethiopian, Bangladeshi and Somalian, have returned to the Grahamstown townships where they live and work, around 150 remain.
At a meeting at the safe zone, on Wednesday 18 November they were told that the municipality would pay for them to stay at the safe zone until Friday, 20 November.
Makana Municipality Social Services Director Mandisi Planga said they were encouraging the displaced residents to move back to their shops because the residents were ready to accept them back.
Up to now the residents at the safe zone have been receiving meals three times a day from the hotel and donations from various non-governmental-organisations. Planga said rumours that the displaced residents did not have food were untrue. He said Red Cross had been providing food.
Their protest today, which began late last night with a candlelight vigil on the street outside the city hall, is to demand government support for them to start up their businesses again.
Leader of the Bangladeshis among the group, Ronnie Ullah, said at last night's protest that those who had lost everything in the looting had to start again from scratch.
"Every shopkeeper needs at least R40 000 to R50 000 to re-establish themselves," he said.
"We're asking for start-up funds."
Most of the displaced people support themselves and their families through their spaza shops, which are often attached to township homes.
The shopkeepers usually live on the premises with their families.
Printed A4 signs the group held up at the protest last night and this morning read, "The premier of Eastern Cape Province must act now and provide kick start fund to all the displaced business owners who lost their stock and assets as a result of xenophobic looting and attacks on 21 October 2015 in Grahamstown" and "The Mayor of Cacadu Municipality must act now and provide decent and healthy food parcels to all the displaced business owners and families who lost their stock and assets as a result of xenophobic looting and attacks on 21 October 2015 in Grahamstown".
Last night's protest began around 9.30pm. A group of displaced people that varied between 50 and 150 was augmented by Rhodes students.
"We thank the students for their support," Unemployed People's Movement member Patricia May said, addressing the group with a megaphone.
Also addressing the group was Ullah, who spoke about their demands.
Four police vans were present, with police monitoring the situation at first. After that one remained, which eventually also left.
Children played on the pavement and protesters laughed and chatted among themselves.
This morning outside the city hall, some of the protesters said they had been there all night.
They had complied with a request from police to leave the road clear and stand on the pavement, one of the protesters said.
Two police officers were present.
Major Johnny Killian of the Grahamstown Police Station engaged with the protesters, who told him of their frustration at having lost everything and not being able to work.
Killian urged them to discuss their concerns with the Mayor when she arrived, and they agreed.
In a statement released via spokesperson Yoliswa Ramokolo this morning, Makana Municipality outlined what their assistance had been to the displaced families since the looting began on 21 October.
Ramokolo listed the municipality's actions as follows:
* A Joint Operations Committee coordinating the reintegration of families was established;
* Public meetings with the community were held to convey a message that xenophobia has no place in this country;
* Accommodation was organised for displaced people.
"Initially about 350 people were housed at Stone Crescent Hotel," Ramokolo said.
"The owner of Stone Crescent Hotel housed the families free of charge for a period, whilst food was provided by the Red Cross and organisations and residents of Grahamstown.
"When the owner of Stone Crescent Hotel could not provide accommodation for the people any more, the Municipality took over the responsibility for their accommodation and paid all the costs."
Ramokolo noted that the municipality was under administration and in financial distress and said letters were submitted to the district municipality and other humanitarian organisations to assist the municipality "financially and otherwise" to cater for the foreign nationals.
"Unfortunately to date the municipality has not received any assistance, except for in-kind services from some government departments."
Ramokolo said currently there are more than 100 people who are not yet reintegrated into their communities.
"[They] are making demands such as a R10 000 start-up capital for each person, food parcels for two months and paid accommodation for two months.
"The municipality is in no position to adhere to these demands, considering its financial position and of the 350 displaced people, 250 are already reintegrated into the community," Ramokolo said.
"Unfortunately the remaining people are influenced by non-governmental organisations that are using this situation as a political platform.
"False reports that they have not been provided with food for days are making the rounds. Not a single day passed by without them being provided with food.
"Our view as the municipality is that their stay at the Stone Crescent cannot be indefinite. They have to be reintegrated," Ramokolo said.
VIDEO AND AUDIO FROM THE PROTEST:
* Major Johnny Killian of the Grahamstown Police Station listens to the frustrations of one of the protesters: bit.ly/GrocProt
* Unemployed People's Movement leader Ayanda Kota holds the megaphone for UPM co-founder and United Front member Mallett Phumelele 'MP' Giyose as he address the group outside the city hall this morning: bit.ly/GrocUPM
* A protester speaks of his frustration with the municipality, saying they've failed to help them following the 21 October lootings.
