LOCALS WANT JOBS

Protesters disrupt Rustenburg bus project

A MULTI-MILLION rand transport project came to a halt when a group of unemployed youth staged a protest to demand they be hired.

Angry residents of Tlhabane West in Rustenburg, North West, disrupted the sideway walk project.

The project is set to inject a R750-million investment into the Rustenburg economy during its first phase.

However, Kgosi Montwedi, chairman of a group calling itself the Tlhabane West Unemployment Forum, said the project had led to the closure of the local youth’s car wash business.

Montwedi said the business was forced to close down a month ago as a result of construction moving closer, making it impossible for cars to reach the business.

“They failed to hire us so we started a business to empower ourselves. Now we cannot even get customers because they took our space,” said Montwedi.

The car wash was situated next to the road that is being renovated.

Refiloe Sedumedi said her construction company was capable of doing work on the project.

“We only saw the subcontractor on site, we were not informed about the project. It was not fair because if I was awarded the tender, I could have hired the locals,” she said.

The project is part of the Rustenburg Rapid Transport (RRT).

RRT spokesman Marks Rapoo said the project has put local economic development at the forefront of the project.

He said the Rustenburg local municipality stipulates a focus on localisation, which includes jobs in construction, the supply of natural materials, recruitment of labour, as well as training for bus drivers and transport staff when this occurs.

Rapoo said a minimum of 25% of the RRT budget must be spent locally. He said the municipality also stipulates a minimum of 25% of jobs created must be for local residents.

Rapoo said the entire project is expected to create 5 000 short-term jobs during the development phase. He said 1 200 of these will be local jobs and that during the first stage of construction, 246 local workers made up two-thirds of the workforce.

Rapoo said unskilled job seekers have had the opportunity to register with the RRT via the Local Economic Development office.

Rustenburg Municipality spokesman Thapelo Matebesi was not available for comment. –