Durban - IN THE WAKE of the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on
the South African economy,
the city, and people’s lives and livelihoods the world over, it seems Chatsworth food voucher recipients are the only citizens who are complaining, according to a Chatsworth councillor.
Let it first be said there are three Boxer stores in the Durban central business district area, access to which is possible through a single return taxi journey, and not three as claimed by councillor Devraj Rama Pillay - whom we have only heard from now since the inception of the lockdown. “Chatsworth food voucher recipients angry about traveling to supermarkets outside the area”, Daily News, May 20, refers.
Pillay further mentions people apparently “piling up at his office”.
Like SABC correspondent Flo Letoaba posed to Pillay’s leader John Steenhuisen, my question to the former is: “Which people?”
As a resident in ward 73, there
is a cry daily by tens of residents about the lack of support from the ward councillor; therefore, the question begs: Which people are piling up his office?
When it comes to the people complaining, they need to understand that ward 73 is one out of 110 wards in eThekwini. The government and local municipalities procure in bulk through a public tender process according to the needs of all their wards, rather than individual wards.
It is quite dramatic how Pillay claims his food voucher recipients are “horrified” to “go to that place (Boxer)”.
What could possibly be so horrific about “that place”?, cognisant of the fact that there are also Boxer stores in Isipingo and two in Pinetown, the latter where Chatsworth taxis travel directly to and from.
Chatsworth is also extremely lucky to have so many NPOs delivering food hampers directly to households.
I am aware of Covac (the Coronavirus Action Committee), Queensburgh Islamic Society, SA Hindu Youth Movement, Caring Sisters Network, Bayview Flats Residents Association, SA Social Security Agency and the Social Development Department’s social relief of distress community nutrition programme, and there are surely more.
Chatsworth citizens, let’s be honest with ourselves. Check your privilege. Truth hurts and lies heal.