BLAZING tyres, logs and bushes blocked one of two roads leading into Station Hill on Wednesday afternoon as residents condemned the award of a tender to block-pave the road to a contractor who lives outside the immediate area.
“We are very angry with the way this tender was awarded,” said Ward 9 committee member Nicolette Daniels.
“We have plenty of registered contractors in our ward to do the job, but it was awarded to an outsider from Kenton.”
Daniels complained that the municipality had used the “pull a name out of the hat” method to award the contract to what she describes as a contactor outside our area.
“We want the old database back. Pulling names out of a hat is stupid when there are families here that need the work. We have families to feed, and jobs are so scarce at the moment. We are furious with the municipality for not considering our circumstances before they award a tender,” she said.
Other complaints included previous jobs that have been given to people outside the area and the fact that the ANC has not one coloured councillor. They are asking why coloured people are always at the bottom of the pile when considering tenders and work.
“We are not racists,” said Daniels. “It would have been fine if any contractor won the tender, as long as they came from Ward 9.” She was referring to the fact that certain predominately white areas had been incorporated into Ward 9 due to the municipality relocating boundaries just before Last year’s local elections.
“We have families going hungry, and a drug problem among our youth. We need jobs in the area but, when one comes up on our own front door it is awarded to someone outside our area. What would happen if a Station Hill contractor was awarded a job in Kenton? Would they be angry?
“It is time for us to stand up for what is fair. The job should have gone to one of our local registered contracts.”
