‘Tenders to graduates’

LIMPOPO – A group of Pedi speaking villagers from Bolobedu South has accused the Greater Tzaneen Municipality of employing mainly Tsonga speaking people from Nkowankowa, Bridgeway, N’wamitwa and Xhihoko over deserving young graduates, who speak Khelobedu, from Relela, Ga-Motupa, Mphatakhudiba, Pjapjamela and surrounding villages.

On Sunday, ANC ward councillor Lion Mateta, pleaded with the new ANC leadership under the tutelage of Regional Chairperson, Pule Shai, to consider allocating jobs to young graduates from Bolobedu South.

Mateta told the crowds during an ANC banquet held at the Relela Sports Ground that “the time was ripe for young tenderpreneurs from Bolobedu South to get tenders from the municipality”.

The glittering banquet was to celebrate the election of former Matokane Secondary school Principal, Gerson Molapisane, into the newly elected ANC regional leadership in the Mopani region.

Molapisane is the first son of the soil from Bolobedu South to be elected into the REC of the ANC since 1994.

The jubilant community believed the inclusion of Molapisane into the ANC top brass would pave the way for them to be awarded lucrative and exuberant municipal posts and tenders.

During the gathering, an articulate Mateta took the opportunity to share the plight of the community.

“Now is the time for Bolobedu, mainly from the Bolobedu South area, to get jobs from the municipality. We believe municipal jobs do not only belong to people of Nkowankowa. It is problematic to believe that only people from Nkowankowa and other Tsonga speaking communities should be employed by the municipality,” said Mateta.

His words were echoed by a member of the executive committee of the Desmond Mahasha branch of the ANC, Luwie Raphotle.

Known by locals as a straight-talker, Raphotle said about 80% of municipal employees in the Greater Tzaneen municipality were Tsonga speaking people.

“Balobedu are also people. They are employable and capable. They also have what it takes to be employed by the municipality. But they are now sick and tired of being overlooked simply because they cannot say ‘Avuxeni’ when greeting people. This is not a war. All we are asking is for Balobedu people to also be taken seriously when it comes to matters of economic empowerment,” pleaded Raphotle.

The Mopani region is divided into five sub-regions of Greater Tzaneen, Greater Letaba, Greater Maruleng, Greater Ba-Phalaborwa and Greater Giyani. Tzaneen, also known as the Tropical Paradise of the district, is the economic hub of the region, specialising mainly in agriculture and tourism.

The town has over 300 000 people, the majority of which are young unemployed youth.

In 2012, then ANC Mopani Regional Chairperson, Joshua Matlou compiled a report to the ANC policy conference in Mangaung entitled ‘The Demons of Tribalism’.

The book, which criticised tribalism in the ANC, formed part of the discussion documents in the policy conference where President Jacob Zuma was elected for a second term. Two years ago, an ANC activist, Bigboy Nkuna, was shot during a scuffle involving the election of either a Pedi or a Tsonga speaking comrade in the ANC provincial leadership. Last year, a group of highly perturbed Tsonga speaking people ran amok chasing Pedi speaking people out of their residence at the Nkowankowa RDP section outside Tzaneen.

Greater Tzaneen Mayor, Maripe Mangena, said the sentiments by Mateta and Raphotle were out of line.

“We appoint people in the municipality based on merit and not because of the colour of their skin, the language they speak or their place of birth,” said Mangena.

“The Greater Tzaneen Municipality is an institution of the people for the people by the people. I am certain our recruitment sections, led by the Human Resources Management, always do things by the book. But we are open to criticism. All we can say is that our doors are always open and anyone dissatisfied with how we do things should not hesitate to approach the municipality,” she concluded.

capvoice@nmgroup.co.za