Vote boycott threatened in Port Elizabeth’s northern areas
Not a single person will cast a vote in Port Elizabeth’s northern areas in the upcoming election if SMMEs are not paid their share of the R21m drain cleaning package by Friday.
This was the threat made by recently elected Northern Areas Business Forum chair Ashley Samson.
“We will campaign to influence all the people of the northern areas to stay away from the polls,” Samson said, standing outside the Port Elizabeth City Hall on Wednesday.
Samson, whose forum represents 250 SMMEs in the northern areas, said at least 120 of them had yet to be paid.
“This list was given to the municipality in early February.
“We were promised that payments would be paid in two weeks by [mayor Mongameli] Bobani,” he said.
“There will be no elections in the northern areas as Bobani is misleading the people.”
Samson said the municipality now had lists from three forums which would be compared with the master list.
“If we receive payment, we won’t campaign against the elections.
“If payment does not happen by Friday, we will start with our plan.”
The municipality used two Bay companies – Finecorp and JK Structures – which were already on its supply database and had existing contracts with the city for the drain-cleaning.
Finecorp and JK Structures then signed a cession on December 13 with Sholden Lukwe Construction and Mbumba Project Managers to manage and pay the SMMEs.
According to a leaked audit report compiled by JK Structures and Finecorp, more than R4m of the money meant for SMMEs is unaccounted for.
Bobani said the municipality had finalised its part in regard to the non-payment.
“We had a meeting with the SMME forums this week and the matter of unpaid SMMEs has been closed.
“The contractors will pay the unpaid SMMEs. All of this was agreed upon,” Bobani said.
He said Samson was simply trying to get his name in the media by coming to his office.
“He must expose himself that he is aligned to a political party,” Bobani said.
In January, hundreds of SMME owners repeatedly gathered outside the Port Elizabeth City Hall and the Uitenhage Town Hall claiming some of them had not been paid.
On Wednesday, several SMME owners gathered at the City Hall demanding payment.
Florence Hermaans, who owns Seesa Business Venture, said they would mobilise the people of the northern areas to help them fight for payments.
“We will engage with the voters and influence them to stay away from stations.
“We will also stop the campaigning of all politicians in the northern areas. They won’t be allowed to enter the northern areas,” she said.
Hermaans said they would first start with their family members, who would spread the word.
IEC Nelson Mandela Bay supervisor Crosby Bacela said if anyone was prevented from voting or campaigning the police would be called in.
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