Former City of Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse has called on Dada Morero, the newly appointed mayor of the city, to fulfil a promise she made to the people of Eldorado Park, Westbury and Riverlea to end gang violence.
Prior to being voted out of office following a motion of no confidence in her leadership on Friday last week, Phalatse had already committed to meet with leaders of these communities to thrash out plans to fight gangsterism.
The residents of Eldorado Park have for the past 26 days staged a sit-in protest outside the local police station demanding that government intervene and address the ongoing deadly gang violence.
In a statement on Friday, Phalatse said the ANC-led Johannesburg council needs to put people’s needs before political interests.
“Even though they have taken power through an illegal and illegitimate process, we appeal to them to now do the right thing for the residents of Eldorado Park,” said Phalatse.
“In my capacity as executive mayor, I responded to this appeal and personally engaged residents around the issues of concern. Myself, the members of the mayoral committee and provincial government have planned to respond to the communities, we had already developed an action plan to address issues tabled by the residents.
“The work of the local government is and must always be about the people, not politics. Go back to the residents and tell them what the city will do.”
Speaking to Sunday World, community activist Cheryl Pillay said the sit-in protest outside the police station continues. “We understand that there has been a change in the council leadership, and a new mayor has taken over, so we cannot expect him to come here tomorrow,” said Pillay.
“It would be unfair and unrealistic of us to say he must come unprepared; we want him to go through a list of our demands and come with solutions with timeframes, not empty promises. We were told that he will come on Monday, so we will meet with him then.”
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