South Africa: No peace for 2010 without development

Blockade of the Golden Highway in Orange Farm, 22nd February 2010

This week has opened with furious defensive statements from the ANC Youth League against the weekend’s media reports about the lavish lifestyle of its president and the millions he has made from tenders awarded to companies he has interests in. Our response to this news cannot just be of disgust at the self-enrichment of those individuals in positions of political influence. Neither can our response be plaintive calls for public officials to account for the vanishing funds. Instead, we can only resist the underdevelopment of poor communities that this culture of greed is causing. These are called protests against the lack of service delivery. But more than that, these are protests against the corruption of development projects opened by privatisation and pursued by the tenderpreneur class. The tendering system to deliver services is only empowering a few at the expense of community upliftment.

Blockade of the Golden Highway in Orange Farm

This week has opened with furious defensive statements from the ANC Youth League against the weekend’s media reports about the lavish lifestyle of its president and the millions he has made from tenders awarded to companies he has interests in. Our response to this news cannot just be of disgust at the self-enrichment of those individuals in positions of political influence. Neither can our response be plaintive calls for public officials to account for the vanishing funds. Instead, we can only resist the underdevelopment of poor communities that this culture of greed is causing. These are called protests against the lack of service delivery. But more than that, these are protests against the corruption of development projects opened by privatisation and pursued by the tenderpreneur class. The tendering system to deliver services is only empowering a few at the expense of community upliftment.

Residents who are angry at the failure of the local municipality to deliver services have blockaded the Golden Highway in Orange Farm since 1a.m. this morning. Police have tried to disperse the protestors using teargas and rubber bullets but as of 4p.m., the blockade is in force. One woman has been reported injured by a rubber bullet and five arrests have been made by the police on charges still to be decided.

Development has been promised to Orange Farm since 1994 and despite these promises being reaffirmed on numerous occasions, the only development that seems to be moving forward is of 2010 World Cup projects. The repeated failure to develop Orange Farm has passed the point of any excuse and the public officials and the ward councillors who have received questions and complaints from residents can no longer muster a shame-faced response. It is left to residents to take direct action to voice their protest and to the police to punish them for their discontent.

No peace for 2010 without development

For more information and comment, contact Bricks Mokolo 0721758948.