Brendon Naicker and Ivotesa civic organisation want a government that truly cares for its people
ALEXANDRA– Naicker said Ivotesa was formed to defend the rights for basic services and advocate for equal society and his organisation was in a process to register as a political party.
The founding president of a civic organisation, Ivotesa for common-sense reform, Brendon Naicker said it was unacceptable and frustrating that after 25 years into democracy there were still people living in conditions such as that in Alexandra.
According to Naicker, Ivotesa is a lobby group that advocates for the right to basic services in different communities across the country.
The Houghton Estate-based organisation’s leadership recently visited Alexandra to get a practical sense of how people of the most congested township live their lives on a daily basis.
They spoke to street vendors and ordinary people on the street who shared their daily plights and frustrations of living in a country with a high rate of unemployment, corruption and crime.
Following the interactions with residents, the members of the organisation hosted an impromptu ‘table talk’ on one of the streets where community members spoke about possible solutions to their problems.
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“People are suffering and they want to see a change in the way resources are shared,” said Naicker. “It doesn’t make sense that there is a family with more than six members living in a one-room house while there is someone with a big mansion across the road in Sandton. The inequality of this country will soon lead to unrest because it will get to the point where the poor cannot take it anymore,”
Naicker added that Ivotesa was formed to become the voice of the voiceless and fight for equality. “We are currently in the process to register as a political party that will contest elections. We need to break beyond dividing lines and poor education standards.
“What we need is universal access to improved and fair education services and create more sustainable employment places, boost growth and build a dynamic and resilient economy. Through this we will bring equal prosperity and opportunities to all South Africans.”
