The SANCO cluster in the Waterval region is accusing the Makhado Municipality's ward councillors of practising nepotism, favouritism and total malpractice when they informed the communities of the call for the submission of CVs for employment at the new Elim Mall.

According to Waterval region's SANCO cluster chairperson Mr Alex Makhacani, the project community liaison officer, Ms Basani Tlakula, normally liaises with the ward councillors when there is a need for local residents to submit CVs for job placements in the soon-to-open shopping mall. It is then the ward councillors' duty to inform all members of the community within their respective wards that a call for a submission of CVs has been made.

On Thursday last week, the representatives from 12 wards travelled to Elim to meet Ms Tlakula to discuss issues of job placement or selection, so that they could find a mutual way to resolve the problem. According to the chairperson of the Njhakanjhaka Traditional Council, Mr Vicky Muvhali, the meeting was supposed to be held at 15:00, but Tlakula left for Gauteng at exactly the same time.

“It's true that I had an appointment with the SANCO people, but I told them that I would only be available at 10:00 in the morning,” said Ms Tlakula. “I will schedule another meeting with them, where the time will suit all the parties.” She emphasised that no councillors have the power to employ or recommend certain persons for jobs at the shopping mall. “Even I don't have those powers,” Tlakula said. “Even if it were possible for councillors to send their friends as much as they can, it wouldn't work for them. There are boxes at the site where interested persons must insert their job applications.”

According to Tlakula, the main businesses at the new mall, namely Shoprite and Boxer, have agreed to employ at least 80% local people. “They will bring with them 20% of the workforce,” she said. “So, I think, the local people should be happy about that.”

khacani says that they have had enough of councillors who use their leadership positions to achieve personal gains. “We want councillors to inform people, and not just people, but all people,” he said. “Only then would applicants know when, where and how to submit their CVs. These people (councillors) are denying the community a simple but rightful thing – information. They have been practicing nepotism and favouritism from the beginning of the construction and it is not a good thing.”

Cllr Sipho Masuka (Ward 15) said that he could not comment directly on the matter, but he quickly added that he had been informing people from his ward all the time about the new mall project, whenever there was a need. “To apply for a job, you don't need a councillor's permission,” he said.

“However, the rate of unemployment is very high and people must be assisted to make or get work," continued Masuka. "People are advised not to undermine ward councillors when they call ward meetings. I can only say that we should stop bickering among ourselves over petty issues and start encouraging development in our area.”

The SANCO cluster, however, says that they have requested a meeting with the mayor of the Makhado Municipality, Cllr David Muthavatsindi, which has already been scheduled for Thursday (28 February) to discuss the matter.

Meanwhile, the Elim Mall has reached completion stage and is set to open business on 28 March.