Yesterday the 22nd of November 2019, there was a protest action at the Busy Corner Mall In Ebony Park. According to the Mall Management this has been recorded as the 55th strike at the Mall since construction began.
Police were called in to intervene. Public Order Police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. More than 10 people were injured and treated at the nearby Thuthukani Clinic. All of the wounds are at the back of their bodies which means the patients were running away from the bullets. One lady was critically injured, she received treatment at Tembisa Hospital. 6 local residents were arrested and spent the night at Ivory Park Police Station holding cells. They were charged with Public Violence.
Yesterday at 5 o’clock in the morning, job seekers met at Busy Corner Mall to block contractors and employees from either leaving or entering the newly built Mall.
The community feels that the hiring process of the Mall has not been fair and transparent. It is alleged that people from as far away as Springs, Alexandra and Diepsloot were hired and local residents overlooked.
The Property Developer Andries Tlouamma has rubbished the allegations. Tlouamma claimed that the local community of Ebony Park, Ivory Park and Kaalfontein was prioritized in the recruitment of staff. He said that the local contractors working at the Mall are local companies. Furthermore, he told KAE News that 90% of the people already hired are local residents. 80 of the 115 staff hired at Pick n Pay and 12 out of 23 staff hired at Cashbuild are local residents.
Tlouamma added that recruitment placement is based on experience and skills. Posts have been advertised at the Councilor’s Office (Ebony Park, Paypoint) and KAE News. In addition, the Mall has a website where Job Seekers can upload their CVs i.e BCMall.co.za
Local job seekers dispute these claims. Allegations of nepotism and ‘connections’ were leveled against the community leadership. It is alleged that the Ward Councilor, Raisibe Matsemela, came into the Mall with 6 people at Pick n Pay and they were all hired. Apparently, the Councilor’s first born daughter was among the 6.
On seeking a comment from the Councilor telephonically, she said “First time I’m hearing about this. No one reported anything to me.” and abruptly hung up.
Andries Tlouamma, who is a former Aganang SA Member of Parliament (MP) said that the community of Ebony Park is leaderless. He said that going to the 2021 Local Government Elections, the community must vote for people who are courageous and have the interest of the community at heart. He said most leaders are driven by self interest and as soon as they get employment, they are nowhere to be found to represent the community.
About members of the community arrested and injured, Tlouamma said “Today was a sad day. Sorry for the people who were arrested and injured . It was not our intentions. We called the police as a last resort. Our door remains open. Let’s move away from striking and come to the negotiation table.”
