A group of disgruntled Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association members — irked by Ethekwini mayor Zandile Gumede’s "failure to accommodate them" — gathered on the steps of Durban’s City Hall on Tuesday.
The gathering of about 50 people had demanded that Gumede meet with them to address their concerns.
The protest is understood to relate to the military veterans’ policy‚ put in place last year‚ which paved the way for veterans to be given preferential treatment when it comes to housing allocation‚ tenders and skills development.
The policy‚ in line with the Military Veterans Act‚ states that the municipality will consider supporting veterans and their dependants in various areas, including access to municipal health services‚ housing‚ facilitation of job placement‚ advice on business opportunities and "any other relevant support".
One of their leaders‚ who spoke to TimesLIVE on condition of anonymity‚ claimed they had been snubbed by the mayor. "We found ourselves in the same situation last year and we came to see the mayor and she promised that she was going to deliver. This is an Act‚ this is not something we have made up in our heads."
The man said the mayor repeatedly delayed the implementation of the Act. "Now we are here and we want her to come and talk to us." But Gumede was nowhere to be seen‚ with officials from her office on the scene to "monitor" the crowd.
Mayoral spokesperson Mthunzi Gumede said the group was leaderless and that no meeting had been scheduled with the mayor. "We do not view this as a crisis. We are engaging with this group and with their leaders, who know nothing about what is happening here today."
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