Protesters block major roads in Eastern Cape
Owners of small businesses complain about failures of the Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality
Dozens of people, led by the Ngcobo Small and Medium Business Sector, marched to the Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality offices on Wednesday to demand better services. Photos: Johnnie Isaac
Protesters used trucks to block roads from Ngcobo to Mthatha and Komani on Wednesday, bringing traffic to a standstill, to show their frustration with the management of the town. A group of protesters also marched in the rain to the municipal offices.
Members of the Ngcobo Small and Medium Business Sector led the protest, demanding the immediate suspension of Khathutshelo Mulaudzi, municipal manager of the Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality. They accused Mulaudzi of gross mismanagement, of neglecting to fix infrastructure and of “turning the place into a ghost town”.
Businesses were instructed to close between 10am and midday and to encourage their workers to join the march. Small business owners say they are struggling to survive due to a “complete breakdown” in services.
They said bus and taxi rank projects were incomplete, gravel roads had deteriorated, taps were running dry forcing some businesses to buy their own water, public toilets did not work and streetlights were broken.
Trucks were used to block the R61 between Ngcobo and Mthatha.
Thandi Jezile, a business owner, said, “The only park we have, Hero’s Park, is barely maintained. Roads, water, toilets, waste management…There is no urban planning, no zoning regulations, no vision, no one wants to invest here under these conditions.”
Contractor Makhanyiseli Tyali said, “There’s no deliberate effort to empower local companies. All key projects are outsourced from companies outside the province, and this is killing our local economy.”
Crime is another concern. Business owners say hotspots remain are not policed, placing lives and livelihoods at risk.
They want a probe into Mulaudzi’s appointment and financial decisions made under his leadership. They also want the Eastern Cape government to intervene and place the municipality under administration to prevent further decay of the town.
Jezile delivered their petition to Council Speaker Mandilakhe Kondile, who acknowledged receipt and promised a formal response.
Mayor Siyabulela Zangqa, in a statement, acknowledged the concerns raised by the business sector, but said he was “disappointed in the manner in which the demonstration was conducted”. He said the closure of routes disrupted essential services and “brought economic activity to a standstill, thereby threatening the livelihoods of community members”.
“Such behaviour is unacceptable and will not be condoned.”
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