Mosselbaai-protesaksies : Munisipale mediaverklaring

Details: Munisipale Sake; 31 July 2018

Die Mosselbaai Munisipaliteit het die volgende persverklaring uitgereik na aanleiding van verlede week se gewelddadige protesoptredes in die dorp wat talle inwoners in hul huise vasgekluister gehou en paniek en pandenomium gesaai het.

Logo Mossel Bay Municipality

31 JULIE 2018

MEDIAVERKLARING: PROTESTE IN DIE MOSSELBAAI MUNISIPALE GEBIED

Na afloop van die protestoptrede waaronder Mosselbaai onlangs gebuk gegaan het, wil Raadsheer Harry Levendal, die uitvoerende burgemeester van Mosselbaai Munisipaliteit, alle inwoners en rolspelers bedank vir hul samewerking.

Veral vrywillige organisasies, soos die onderskeie buurtwagte moet vermeld word vir hul bydrae. Raadsheer Levendal stel alle Mosselbaai-inwoners gerus dat die Munisipaliteit alles in sy vermoë doen om soortgelyke situasies te voorkom. Hiervoor is deurlopende onderhandelings en betrokkenheid deur al die belangrike rolspelers en die geaffekteerde gemeenskappe uiters noodsaaklik.

Die Munisipaliteit het ten volle begrip en begryp die omvang en impak van die onlangse protesoptrede op inwoners, organisasies en besighede in die munisipale gebied.

onluste11

Aslapark

Wat Aslapark betref was daar voorvalle van geweld. Dit het veroorsaak dat Louis Fourie-weg dae lank gesluit was en die gemeenskap van Danabaai was vasgekeer. Om die protes te ontlont het ‘n munisipale delegasie onder leiding van burgemeester Levendal ‘n openbare vergadering op 24 Julie 2018 met die gemeenskap van Aslapark gehou.

Die versoekskrif met eise van die gemeenskap is bespreek. Later dieselfde middag is daar met sowat 17 verteenwoordigers van die Aslapark-gemeenskap vergader om werkbare oplossings te probeer vind vir die aangeleenthede wat die gemeenskap grief.

Daar is ooreengekom dat daar ‘n opvolg gesprek sal plaasvind op 7 Augustus 2018 waartydens die Munisipaliteit amptelik terugvoering sal gee aan die Aslapark-gemeenskap op elk van die eise wat aan die Munisipaliteit gestel is. Van die aangeleenthede waarvoor werkbare oplossings, in belang van die groter Mosselbaai, gevind moet word sluit in:

Die toekenning van grond aan persone wat nie grond besit nie
Dat erf 2001 gediens word vir die vestiging van informele nedersettings en agterplaasbewoners
Dat water en krag nie afgesny word na diegene wat wel betaal nie
Dat kragbokse wat verwyder was teruggeplaas moet word
Dat die 2017-18 GOP-vergaderings herskeduleer moet word en die normale kanale gevolg moet word om die gemeenskap daarvan in te lig
Dat beurtkrag na formele huise langsaan informele nedersettings gestaak moet word
Dat gratis eenhede krag en gratis water toegeken word sonder om eers krag aan te moet koop
Dat lae-inkomste huishoudings en die wat staatstoelaes ontvang gratis munispale dienste moet geniet
Dat krag direk vanaf Eskom aangekoop word
Dat ondersteuning gebied word aan klein sakeondernemings
Dat die taxibedryf ondersteun en betrek word by plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkeling-beplanning
Dat die werkloosheidsyfer verminder en Wyk 3 betrek word by beplanning
Dat die hoë syfer dwelmverbruikers in die wyk ondersetun word met jeugprogramme
Dat die oprigtingsproses van die Aslapark-taxistaanplek ondersoek word.

Die gemeenskap het die volgende dag weer by die KwaNonqaba-polisiekantoor saamgetrek. Met onmiddellike ingryping en onderhandelings is die situasie ontlont en die skare is vreedsaam uiteen. Die situasie word nou deurlopend gemonitor.

Danabaai

Veral Danabaai is deur die protesoptrede geaffekteer deurdat hulle toegangsroete gesluit moes word. Dit het groot ontwrigting vir die hele gemeenskap veroorsaak. Die amptenary ondersoek die moontlikheid van ‘n toegansgroete vanaf die N2 en sal meer volledig hierop terugrapporteer wanneer meer inligting beskikbaar is. Die provinsiale regering is dan ook reeds op politieke vlak ingelig van hierdie uitdaging wat dringende aandag moet geniet.

Brandwag

Proteste het terselfdertyd in die Brandwag-omgewing begin en die pad na Oudtshoorn was ook gesluit. Burgemeester Levendal en sy delegasie het die gemeenskap van Brandwag toegespreek om die situasie te bedaar, maar dit het nie goed afgeloop nie en die polisie moes tussenbeide tree. Die situasie het sedertdien bedaar.

Groot-Brakrivier

Die staking deur die werkers van die Bolton-skoenfabriek word deurlopend deur die plaaslike polisie op Groot-Brakrivier gemonitor.

Gebiedsveiligheidsplan

Die konsep-veiligheidsplan vir die Mosselbaai munisipale gebied is deur die raad aanvaar en moet nou met die rolspelers gekonsulteer word. Die forum om die konsep te bespreek sal in Augustus vergader.

Kyk ook ons foto's en berigte oor die onluste hier: http://www.mosselbayontheline.co.za/index.php/news/misdaad-crime/138-mosselbaai-onder-beleg-van-gewelddadige-betogers-en-onlusstokers

Logo Mossel Bay Municipality

31 JULY 2018

MEDIA RELEASE: PROTESTS IN THE MOSSEL BAY MUNICIPAL AREA

Following the recent protest action in Mossel Bay, the Executive Mayor of the Mossel Bay Municipality, Alderman Harry Levendal, would like to thank all the residents and role players for their co-operation.

Especially volunteer organisations, such as the various neighbourhood watches, need to be mentioned for their contributions. Alderman Levendal would like to assure all Mossel Bay residents that the Municipality is doing everything in its power to prevent similar situations. In this regard continuous negotiations and the involvement of all the important role players and the affected communities are extremely important.

The Municipality fully understands the extent and impact of the recent protest action on all residents,organisations and businesses within the municipal area.

onluste13

Asla Park

As far as Asla Park is concerned, incidents of violence continued for days. This resulted in Louis Fourie Road being closed for days and the community of Dana Bay being trapped.

To defuse the situation, a municipal delegation under the leadership of the Mayor Levendal held a public meeting on 24 July 2018 with the community of Asla Park. A petition with the demands of the community was discussed. Later the same afternoon a meeting was held with 17 representatives of the Asla Park community to try and find workable solutions for the issues and grievances of the community.

It was agreed that a follow-up discussion will take place on 7 August 2018 at which the Municipality will give official feedback to the Asla Park community on each of the grievances that were put to the Municipality. Some of the issues for which workable solutions must be found in the interest of the greater Mossel Bay include:

That landless people be given land
That erf no 2001 be served for informal settlement and backyard dwellers
That water and electricity not be cut to those who fail to pay
That electricity boxes that were removed be returned
That 2017/18 IDP meeting be convened and the normal procedure for calling the meeting be followed
That paying customers not be affected by load shedding
That free units of electricity and free water be granted without having to buy electricity first
That social grants and low-income households be granted free municipal services
That customers be allowed to buy electricity directly from Eskom
For small businesses to be supported and not destroyed
That the taxi industry be supported and involved in LED plans
That the unemployment rate be reduced by involving the ward in plans
That the high rate of drug users be reduced by providing support and activities for the youth
That the establishment of the Asla Park taxi rank be investigated.

The community again gathered at the KwaNonqaba police station the following day. The situation was defused through immediate interventions and negotiations and the crowd dispersed peacefully. The situation is being monitored continuously.

Dana Bay

Dana Bay in particular was affected by the protest action as the access route had to be closed. This caused great inconvenience to the whole community. The officials are investigating the possibility of establishing an access route from the N2 and will report back in more detail when more information is available. The Provincial Government has been informed at political level of this challenge, which needs to enjoy urgent attention.

Brandwag

Protests started simultaneously in the Brandwag vicinity and the road to Oudtshoorn was also closed. Mayor Levendal and his delegation addressed the Brandwag community in an attempt to calm the situation, but the police had to intervene. The situation had since calmed down.

Great Brak River

The strike by employees of the Bolton shoe factory is being monitored on an ongoing basis by the local police at Great Brak River.

Area safety plan

The draft safety plan for the Mossel Bay municipal area has been accepted by Council and the role players must now be consulted. The forum will meet in August to discuss the draft.