FOR the past three days, angry residents stopped all regular activities in the town while looting of foreign-owned shops was the order of the day.
Residents of Ekangala near Bronkhorstspruit, east of Tshwane, claimed over 70% of young people in their area were unemployed.
They said government officials came to their area making promises, but none of the promises were being kept.
Protest leader Nokulunga Songo said efforts to try to get employment from any new project in their area fell flat because of the corruption of their leaders.
“Our young people are throwing away their lives through drugs and crime because of unemployment. We are getting old, but still rely on our parents for support,” she said.
She said their efforts to talk to the municipality and government came to nothing.
“We won’t stop protesting until we come to some agreement,” she said.
Premier David Makhura’s advisor Mxolisi Xayiya accepted their memorandum of grievances and promised to have a community meeting with residents within seven days.
He said he would also get other MECs and ministers to be part of the meeting to find a way forward. “People can’t call themselves leaders in Ekangala while they steal.”
