Sam Nape writes:
The only entity that detests protests is society.
The last resort on grievances will spill over devastating protests unimaginable and uncontrollable as they are impromptu, constant, and spontaneous.
Aggrieved protesters are desperate for permanent remedies.
They are not public entertainers.
They come as you have stepped on the tail of a sleeping tomcat, then you were looking for trouble.
It is a provocation initiated in the boardrooms of the bureaucratic turned autocratic municipality.
Putting their shoes down on serious matters considered by the community and downgraded as an agenda for tomorrow’s discussions without assessing the outcomes of a delayed resolution.
A typical example is a clarion call to the municipality in 2013 on the grave seriousness of the Pap & Vleis point Transnet unguarded level train crossing which grossly affected the Klarinet Industrial Businesses and Pine Ridge residents.
Not to mention the Coronation squatter camps, they reside there at the mercy of the Municipal Disaster Management teams in times of uncontrolled fires.
Prevention is better than cure.
Last month, after seven years passed, a violent protest flared at the same area, in these times of high unemployment rate and economic recession.
All it needs is to put up an overhead or underground bridge for commuters.
You talk of not less than R10m.
For a successful protest to happen, you need an arrogant municipality; a dust bin for the municipality to throw in those petitions; a project manager coordinating concerned furious residents; a busload of rocks or black gold (coal); a clock to whistle out energetic disgruntled future leaders of the community when the municipality goes through its undisturbed night dreams; tyres and lastly a 50c box of matches.
That is when what we call public violence takes its toll.
It is a pity that it becomes the only current tangible route to public peace.
As long as serious matters are taken as “their problems” the municipality is taking a social distance.
By not putting themselves in the shoes of the community, then the repercussions are of two warring factions like the Nile River debacle.
The cause of intermittent protests is the failure of the municipality to be transparent on its disputable failures to compromise. Better test the wisdom of the masses that will stand on their feet for an amicable resolution.
The municipality will opt for a total loss of property than forge for a total gain of the community’s confidence.
Civilian transport and property are compromised for the sake of attracting the municipality’s attention to their grievances.
Serious concerns which were never entertained should get special eagle’s eyes until the wee hours of the day for a permanent solution.
Housing is at the core of community dislodge.
You ignore or downplay this human right entitlement, you risk for a colossal unprecedented protest.
Siyanqoba is a burning issue that needs immediate intervention to curb further outburst detrimental to the Klarinet economy.
Transnet Level Crossing as the corridor of eMalahleni new developments.
Waste Management which is succeeding in creating squatter camps for rodents and plastic fly kites.
Water and Sewer Management which opens new spruits of paid clean drinking running water and cause to use masks but not for Covid-19.
All these are ingredients for sporadic protests.
Let the municipality ignore them at their own risk.
We need our Afrikaans Broederbond.
We need all major stakeholders including prophetic voices to counteract the “pray for the demise of the municipality” quote: Arch Desmond Tutu.
Finally, let open door policy be our democratic practice in dispute resolutions.
