Cape Town - Frustrated with little to no work opportunities being granted by local businesses, a group of Wallacedene and Bloekombos residents under the banner of Operation Dudula Kraaifontein on Wednesday staged a protest march in the community’s CBD.
The small group, supported by members of the movement’s other branches, marched to seven Kraaifontein businesses, including two petrol stations, a popular liquor store and several food franchises to hand in memorandums and CVs.
Operation Dudula secretary Onke Mshibi said the movement had been motivated to stage the protest march after noting that Kraaifontein businesses were prejudiced in their hiring processes and disadvantaging local citizens.
“We are here today to hand in our memorandums and CVs, demanding that this change immediately and that our people be afforded work opportunities.”
Kraaifontein resident Daniswa Jaxa said: “If it’s a matter of skills and experience, we have skilled workers among us. These businesses are not hiring foreigners with hard skills but soft skills, so it’s completely unfair that we’re at a disadvantage.”
Jaxa also said that the group was questioning why some businesses ask for school-leaving certificates and unreasonable work experience when interviewing South Africans and don’t ask the same of foreign nationals.
“We are asked for matric certificates and other things, are you telling me foreigners have matric? How do they even check if they do? Unless it’s only we who are being asked for matric. Unemployment is very high here, and we need work.”
Following the march, the group said it would be giving businesses seven days to respond to its demands. Should the businesses not heed calls made by the group, Jaxa said the movement would then activate the Departments of Labour and Home Affairs to conduct oversight visits in the area.
One of the businesses visited by the group was the local Shell petrol station in Belmont Park.
Shell owner Grant Bailey said he understood the motive and frustrations of the group and would be looking into hiring locals rather than foreign nationals, moving forward, to cater for South Africans first.
Bailey’s business was the first to accept CVs handed in by the movement.