Stanford in The Western Cape Up in Arms Over Jobs

To: All media

From: Land Party National Spokesperson

Contact: landpartysa@gmail.com | https://www.landparty.org.za/contact | @LandPartySA | 067 627 6014

Date: 2019/03/01

Embargo: None

Community members from Stanford were livid with the manner in which employment on the Stanford road project was being handled and, after not being heard at meetings with the contractors or by their councillors, they contacted the Land Party to assist them.

The community was not happy when ANC councillors from Zwelihle ‘hijacked’ a meeting last week insisting that people from Zwelihle get jobs on the road. 20-odd people from Zwelihle were subsequently employed, including at least one family member of a councillor.

The Stanford community believes that all jobs on the road should be given to people residing in the wards in which the road project is taking place – Stanford and Gansbaai – and not to Zwelihle. It is not often that an opportunity like this opens up for these small rural communities and it makes sense that the people that live there should be the first to benefit.

The Land Party completely agreed with the community and had in fact asked the Zwelihle community to not accept jobs on this contract at a community meeting last week.

On Wednesday 27th February tensions were high at the gate to the contractor’s offices with Stanford community members refusing to allow anyone through the gates until their grievances were addressed. A delegation of Land Party leaders went to speak with them to assist in dealing with the matter.

Chief Leader of the Land Party, Gcobani Ndzongana, contacted the MP for the Overstrand, Masizole Mnqasela, who came and met with the community. He, in turn, contacted the contractors and the government department responsible for awarding the contract and arranged for a meeting to be held with all stakeholders on Monday 4 March 2019 at the Overstrand Municipality.

Mr Ndzongana and Mr Mnqasela both assured the community of Stanford that they would ensure that the jobs were given to those living in Stanford or Gansbaai before anyone else. Two community representatives were appointed by the community to represent them at the meeting on Monday. Work on the road would be allowed to continue in the interim.

Other irregularities, including a sub-contracted local security company from the Overstrand losing the job for refusing to employ people from Theewaterskloof instead of the Overstrand by the contractor would also be addressed.

End.