Business forum storms eThekwini council offices

Durban - The Delangokubona Business Forum this week stormed the eThekwini municipality’s real estate offices, at the Embassy building on Aliwal Street, demanding to see the head of real estate.

Employees, who spoke to the Daily News on condition of anonymity, said they were forced to vacate their work stations, as the group were banging on doors at all the offices.

“They told all the staff to leave.

“They banged on the doors of each office demanding to see the head of real estate, Mr Thapelo.

“The city leadership tried to reason with the business forum,” they said.

A city official said the forum would continue testing the city leadership.

“You have the culprits. You have metro police and SAPS, yet a group of people do as they wish - and you don’t arrest? That’s why these people will keep on undermining the city’s authority,” she said.

The municipality confirmed the incident.

Spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said: “We confirm that real estate staff were forced out of the Embassy building, allegedly by a business forum.

“The city’s leadership addressed the issue. The meeting was chaired by the chairperson of the human settlements and infrastructure committee.”

Mayisela said, from the meeting, it was recommended that two Grade C security officers be deployed on each of the affected three floors.

“This has been done and, in fact, three guards per floor have been deployed. Moreover, the matter has been reported to the SAPS for investigation,” Mayisela said.

Thabani Mzulwini, the forum’s national chairperson, blamed Tuesday’s incident on the city’s “lack of discipline”.

“We would request meetings with the leadership and they’ll bail out on us. On the Tuesday in question, the head of the unit was supposed to have met with us to discuss land and property issues but he was not in his office. We then moved from office to office searching for him.

“We did not force anyone to leave their workplace,” Mzulwini said.

Daily News