With demands in their hands and frustration in their voices, women from communities across the Overberg took their grievencies to the Overstrand municipality in a peaceful march.
They demanded an end to what they described as an unfair system that continues to fail communities and Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) households that are struggling to make ends meet.
On late Thursday morning, women from Zwelihle, Mount Pleasant, Marikana and Hawston peacefully marched from Zwelihle to the Overstrand municipal building to submit a formal memorundum of “community demands”. The demands set out to address “matters that directly affect residents of Zwelihle/Overstrand and surrounding communities”.
The matters include but are not limited to:
– demands “regarding the pricing of municipal services, RDP houses, indigent support, electricity, rental accounts an the treatment of residents
– transparency and accountability regarding municipal charges and service delivery,
– investigation into the possibility of residents purchasing electricity directly from Eskom rather than through Overstrand Municipality, where legally and technically possible,
– improved service delivery and replacement of broken wheelie bins (the last wheelie beans were reportedly received in 2011),
– a clear and fair solution for residents who have two houses registered in their names, particularly where this creates financial difficulties with municipal charges or services [and],
– fair, respectful and professional treatment of residents and taxpayers when dealing with municipal charges and service delivery.”
“As the women of Zwelihle, we are tired of the municipality [strangling] us,” said 89-year-old miss Mcinjane who is a Zwelihle resident. “We only receive R3 500 [grant money] and we spend it all on municipal fees. And, after paying those fees, we are only left with R500.”
“We don’t have money. We don’t work. Today we are here. We have had enough!” she said.
Addressing the crowd, Overstrand deputy mayor Elnora Gillion, said that it has been a sad day for her “standing here and receiving a message from an elder”. She added that the women that “built” the Overstrand should not have ever had to go to the municipality to hand over a memorundum.
“And as the deputy mayor standing here… it feels like: ‘where did it go wrong?’,” she said. “The progress that we have made is not sufficient. We have to go back to the drawing board. We have to see how we can accommodate you”
Streamlined processes
According to Gillion who signed the memorundum, it is up to her to take the demands to the relevant decision makers and streamline the process.
“We usually take seven days to respond to memorundums from the public, but [the response for] this one will come sooner,” she said.
She added that when she heard of the female-led protest, “I looked into myself and said ‘something must be wrong’.” She said that she asked herself whether she had failed the women of the Overstrand and that lots of people might ask, in mockery, why the women marched.
“But this is the only means and tools that you have so that we listen and we respect you,” she said.
A service that could be better
Speaking to Hermanus Times, several protestors raised concerns and complaints about the service they receive at the front desk when they go to municipal offices for municipal services.
In response, Gillion old Hermanus Times that she has heard about their concerns before and will escalate the matter to the relevant bodies.
“It must be investigated and we will bring it under the Chief Financial Officer’s attention because he is the head of the department as well as the [member of the mayoral committee],” Gillion said. “There are certain steps that have to be taken for permanant employees according to HR regulations.”
She added that it’s difficult to put a timeframe towards the length of the process “because it must be now investigated from [the employee’s] side as well. She’s got a right as well to defend herself, but it has been brought to our attention”.
